PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Skel/.. 


BV  1475  .W727  1885 
Winship,  Albert  E.  1845- 

1933. 
Methods  and  principles  in 

Bible  studv  and  Sundav 


i 


ifi 


-^liil^ 


METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES 


IN 


BIBLE    STUDY 


AND 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHING 


BY 


REV.    A.    e/wINSHIP 


BOSTON 
W.   A.   WILDE   &   CO.,    PUBLISHERS 

25    BROMFIELD   STREET 

i88s 


Copyright, 

By  a.  E.  Winship. 

J885. 


Eo  f^cr 


WHOSE  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES  IN  TRAINING  AND  TEACHING 

OUR    CHILDREN    IN    THE    HOME    HAVE   TAUGHT 

ME   MORE    PSYCHOLOGY    THAN 

ALL   MY   BOOKS, 

I   DEDICATE  THIS    FIRST   WAIF   FROM 
MY    PEN. 


^^^.?'cnl  Z^'^^ 


PREFACE. 


No  departure  from  accepted  metaphysical 
science  is  attempted.  The  aim  is  to  apply  the 
latest  and  best  matured  psychological  principles 
to  the  training  of  the  intellect,  emotions,  and 
will  through  a  reverent  study  of  the  Scriptures  ; 
to  present  methods  of  developing  the  mind  at 
different  periods  ;  to  aid  in  securing  attention  ; 
to  assist  the  memory  and  imagination  ;  to  develop 
correct  habits  in  thought  and  life ;  to  inspire 
an  intelligent  belief;  to  aid  in  making  right 
choices. 

In  a  few  instances  the  author  has  recast  illus- 
trations that  he  had  previously  used  editorially 
in  the  American  Teacher,  and  would  acknow- 
ledge his  appreciation  of,  and  indebtedness  to, 
S\x\\y's  Sensations  a7id  I}it2iitio7is ;  Bain's  Emo- 
tions and  the  Will ;  Sully's  Outlines  of  Psy- 
chology;  Hamilton's  MetapJiysics ;  Bain's  Senses 
and  Intellect ;  Carpenter's  Mental  Physiology ; 
Bain's  Mind  and  Body ;  Calderwood's  Relation 
of  Mind  to  Body  ;  Jevons's  Logic. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

PAGE 

Prominence  of  Sunday-school  Work  —  The  Bible  the  Text-Book 
—  What,  How,  and  Why? — Popularizing  Psychology  — 
Mission  of  the  Sunday-school  —  International  Lessons  —  No 
Spirit  of  Criticism 13 


CHAPTER   L 
MENTAL   DEVELOPMENT. 

Aim 19 

Drawing  Straight  line  —  Starting  a  Tune  —  Teacher's  Respon- 
sibility —  He  needs  the  Key-note. 

Principles 20 

Knowledge  of  the  Nature  and  Activity  of  the  Child's  Mind  — 
What  is  to  be  attained  —  What  is  Mental  Growth?  —  Men- 
tal Development  —  Secular  Education  —  Skill  in  Mechanics, 
Arts,  etc.  —  Exercise  of  the  Mind — Requirements  of  Chris- 
tian Living —  .A.rt  and  Philosophy  —  Tiiinking,  Feeling,  and 
Choosing  —  The  Bee  —  Mental  Development  not  necessarily 
a  Blessing  —  Ingersoll  —  Moody  —  Character  Development  — 
Memory  .•\ge  —  Inquisitive  Age —  Analytical  Age. 

Memory  Age 23 

Individual  Te.xts  —  Care  in  Selection — -Adaptation  —  Verses 
or  Paragraphs  —  Point  their  own  Lessons  —  Rliythmical  —  Se- 
cret Art  —  The  Foundation  —  Repetition  —  Verbal  Memory 
•—Relish  for  memorizing  Scripture — Too  early  Develop- 
ment—  The  Strawberry —  Revision  Committee  —  Texts  ger- 
minate Thought  —  Drudgery  —  Teach  the  Truth  —  Self-evi- 
dent Application  —  Truth  harnessed  to  Real  Life  —  Life 
fashioned  by  Truth  —  Silk-worm  —  Ruskin's  Texts. 

Inquisitive  .-^ge 2S 

Circumstances  and  Associations  —  Geography  — Cyclamen. 

7 


METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 


Analytical  Age 

Grouping  Texts  —  Mortified  at  Ignorance  —  Will  not  ask  Ques- 
tions—  Home  —  Mother  —  Sunday-school — Parental  Author- 
ity —  Biographical  Grouping  —  Abraham  —  Temperance  — 
General  Outlme  —  Fragrant  Flowers — Weeds — Relation  to 
Parents  —  To  Children  —  To  Friends — Enemies  —Musical 
Development. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ART   OF  THINKING. 

Introduction 45 

Experience  —  Thought  in  Bible  Study  —  John  Jasper —  Loyalty 
to  Intellectual  Leader  —  Soldier  —  Contentment. 

I.  Appreciation  of  Single  Truths    .        .        .        .        .48 

1.  Of  Things  Present. 

2.  Of  Things  Present  through  the  Memories. 

3.  Of  Things  Present  through  the  Imagination. 

4.  Of  Things  Absent. 

II.  Discrimination  to  Note  Differences         .        .        -51 

1.  Both  Present. 

2.  One  Absent. 

III.  Comparing  Facts  to  Note  Resembl.\xces  .        -55 

IV.  Estimating  Consequences 57 

Theory  in  Practice  —  Patent  Office  —  Physicians  —  Law- 
yers—  Spider — Benefit  of  Truth  —  A  Story — False 
and  True  Methods  of  Application  —  Rule. 

V.  Inductive  Reasoning         ...  ...    61 

Definition  —  Examples  —  Rules. 

VI.  Deductive  Reasoning 63 

The  .\rt  —  Principles  —  Laws  —  Explanations  —  Each  Law 
examined  —  E.Kamples  —  Adaptation  to  Age. 


CHAPTER    III. 
ATTENTION. 


Introduction 

Object  of  Mental  Discipline  —  The  Magnetic  Teacher. 


CONTENTS.  9 

1.  Involuntary  Attention 76 

1.  Non-attention. 

How  not  to  attend  —  Humming-bird. 

2.  External. 

a.  Interested  through  Senses 77 

Beaver. 

b.  Through  Senses,  disinterestedly        .        .        .        .78 

Eagle —  Sir  William  Hamilton. 

c.  Abstract  .Attention  without  Objects  present  .     78 

d.  Application  to  the  Bible 79 

1.  Learning  Texts  because  of  Rhythm. 

2.  Because  of  Truth  we  need. 

3.  To  learn  Higher  Truths. 

e.  Results. 

Control  of  Circumstances  —  Men  who  intiuence 
us  —  Humming-bird. 

/.  Methods .81 

Appeal  to  the  Eye  and  Ear — Familiar  in  Un- 
familiar Surroundings  —  Question  with  Anima- 
tion—  Vivid  and  Suggestive  Questions  — 
Teacher  must  master  the  Class  —  Above  the 
Self,  above  the  Teacher  to  the  Truth  —  Coleridge. 
g.  .Adaptation  to  .Age 84 

In  Secular  Schools  —  In  Sunday-schools  —  Mel- 
ody —  From  Eight  to  Fifteen. 

3.  Internal .84 

At  Fifteen  —  Telescope  —  Mind  educated. 

II.  Voluntary  Attention 85 

III   Involuntary  or  Autom.atic  Attention       .        .        .85 


CHAPTER    IV. 

ART   OF    REMEMBERING. 

Introduction 91 

Methods  of  Learning  to  Remember 91 

Definitely  learned  —  Accurately  learned —  Firmly  fixed  in  the 
Mind —  Closely  associated  —  Good  Mental  Attitude. 

Recalling  Past  Knowledge 94 

Involuntary. 
Panorama  —  Natural  Elasticity  —  Ladies'  Satchel  —  Science 
of  not  forgetting  Association  —  Success  in  Sunday-school 
Teaching  —  Keen  Attention  —  Frequent  Repetition. 
Vcluntary. 

Apply  to  the  Bible  —  Teacher's  Responsibility. 


10  METHODS  AND  PR  IXC  IDLES. 


Objects  of  Memorizing 99 

Words,  /'.  c,  texts,  chapters,  etc. 
Truth  without  words. 

Parables  —  Incidents  —  Miracles  —  Fish  taking  air. 
Truth  without  incident. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PHILOSOPHY    OF    HABIT. 

Introduction 107 

Bad  Habits  destructive  —  Good  Habits  conserve  Mental  Energy 

—  Righting  Physical  Deformities  —  Good  Habits  right  Men- 
tal Deformities. 

SuSCEPTIIilLITY    OF    MiND loS 

Body  Organism  of  Growth — Mind  of  Development. 

Habit  anu  Will loS 

Conditions  of  Habit 109 

Creates  Brain  Power  —  Icc-cutLing. 
Method  of  Forming  Habits 109 

Early    Rising — Intemperance  —  Physical    Reiorms    through 
Habit  —  Change  of  Attention  Important  —  A  Shrewd  Mother 

—  Current  of  Thought  changed. 

Habitual  Indifference 113 

Habit  in  Morality 114 

Habit  in  Religion 115 

Formation  of  Habit 116 

Definite    Beginning  —  Frequent    Repetition — Uniformity  of 
Action. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
USE  OF    IMAGINATION. 

Influence  of  Imagination 121 

Properly  developed  —  Keeps  from   Mischief  —  Develops  Vir- 
tue and  Faith. 

Neglect  of  Imagination 123 

Development  of  Imagination 124 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE   EMOTIONS, 

Classes  of  Feelings 131 

Influence  of  Emotions 132 


COXTENTS. 


II 


Pleasurable  Emotions   . 
Painful  Emotions    . 
Unstimulated  Emotions 
Excessive  Emotional  Natures 
Erratic  Emotional  Natures 
Development  of  Emotions    , 
Influence  of  the  Word  of  God 


143 
134 


135 
137 
140 


CHAPTER   VIII. 
PHILOSOPHY  OF  SYMPATHY. 


Importance  of  Sympathy 
Physical  Sympathy 
Intellectual  Sympathy 
Emotional  Sympathy 
Sympathy  of  Will  . 
Sympathy,  Good  and  Bad 
Sympathy  in  Amusements 
Sympathy  in  Church 
Intellectuality 
Sense  Influences     . 
Hindrances 


145 

145 
146 

147 
1 48 
148 
148 
152 
156 
156 
1^6 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF, 


Introduction     . 
Belief 
Doubt  . 
Unbelief 
Disbelief 
Despondency 
Despair 
Desperation 
Belief 
Credulity 
Superstition 
Fanaticism  . 
Expectant  Attention 


163 
164 
168 
170 

171 
171 
171 
172 

174 
175 

175 


12 


METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 


Belief 

Expectancy 

Reliance 

Faith 

Hope 

Peace 

Joy 

Character  of  Belief 
Varieties  of  Belief 
Adaptation  of  Beliei- 
confession 
Faith  in  Action 
Motives  of  Belief  . 
Influence  of  the  Bible 


i8i 
iSi 

iSi 
1S2 
1S2 
1S3 
183 
1S4 
1 86 
1 86 
188 
1S9 
190 
192 


CHAPTER   X. 
ART   OF  CHOOSING. 


Introduction     . 
Choice. 
Involuntary  . 
Impulsive 
Circumstantial  . 
Imitative 
Voluntary 
Deliberation 
Decision 
Determination  . 
Resolution 
Major  and  Minor  Choices 
Motives        .... 
Wish         .... 
Desire      .        .        .        . 
Covetousness 
Present  .... 
Future     .... 
To  Please  Self     . 
To  Benefit  Others 
To  Please  God 
Speclvl  Divine  Enlightenment 


201 
201 

201 
202 
204 
205 
206 
20S 
209 
212 
214 
215 
215 
215 
216 
216 
21S 
218 
219 
220 


INTRODUCTION. 


HE  patriotic,  social,  and  religious  im- 
portance of  the  work  attempted  by 
the  Christian  men  and  women  who 
distinguish  themselves  from  other  laborers  in 
the  Master's  service  by  emphasizing  Bible 
teaching  in  the  Sunday-school,  makes  it  certain 
that  they  will  come  into  greater  prominence  as 
the  fruit  of  their  labor  appears. 

The  Bible  is  the  text-book  of  all  ages  in 
morals  and  religion,  and  upon  its  truths  rest 
the  justice  and  mercy  of  human  law;  the  sta- 
bility of  government,  the  permanency  of  com- 
mercial enterprise,  the  sanctity  of  the  laws,  the 
honor  of  man,  the  virtue  of  woman,  the  au- 
thority of  the  Sabbath,  the  precedent  for  Divine 
worship,  the  merit  of  the  sacraments,  the  com- 
fort of  the  afflicted,  the  consolation  of  the 
bereaved,  the  hope,  peace,  and  joy  of  mankind. 

13 


14  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

In  teaching  this  book  successfully  we  must 
know  what  to  do,  how  to  do  it,  and  why.  By  a 
variety  of  means,  through  type  and  voice,  we 
have  been  aided  in  teaching  the  individual 
lessons  with  a  thoroughness  that  we  have  no 
disposition  to  criticise.  But  the  great  under- 
lying principles  of  mental  action  upon  which 
success  depends  have  not  been  emphasized, 
reliance  having  been  placed  upon  the  how 
rather  than  the  why,  upon  the  indications  of 
immature  experiment  and  experience  rather 
than  upon  the  philosophy  which  has  command- 
ed the  respect  of  the  best  intellect  of  all  ages. 
Hence  the  demand  for  popularizing  those  fea- 
ures  of  psychology  upon  which  ultimate  success 
in  Sunday-school  teaching  must  depend.  The 
child  is  not  taught  effectively  until  he  thinks, 
feels,  and  wills  habitually  within  the  lines, 
under  the  laws,  and  from  the  inspiration  which 
God  has  given  in  the  Bible  and  conscience. 

If  at  times  we  shall  seem  to  criticise  existing 
plans  and  methods  it  will  not  be  intentional. 
The  uniformity  of  Bible  study  under  the  Inter- 
national system  has  been  too  great  a  blessing  to 
the   world    to    be    lightly   esteemed,    and    the 


INTRODUCTION.  1 5 

system  is  too  dear  to  the  hearts  of  the  multi- 
tude who  have  profited  by  it  to  make  it  wise  or 
courteous  to  comment  with  light  and  easy  grace 
upon  those  defects  that  begin  to  appear  as  we 
reach  a  higher  plane.  We  may  well  question 
whether  we  should  have  been  qualified  to  see 
the  better  way  but  for  the  light  radiated  by  the 
International  lessons. 

Those  who  indulge  in  panegyrics  on  the  glori- 
ous old  days  when  the  Bible  was  committed  to 
memory  by  the  chapter,  and  call  for  a  return  to 
those  favored  methods,  ought  to  know  that  the 
effectiveness  of  the  present  system  is  to  that 
of  former  days  as  the  dawn  to  the  midnight, 
and  if  there  is  to  be  improvement  it  must  be  in 
advance  and  not  in  retreat.  The  purpose  of 
this  work  is  to  present  principles  by  which 
we  should  be  guided,  and  indicate  methods  of 
application.  It  is  not  our  aim  to  defend  or 
antagonize  existing  systems. 

The  leaders,  official  and  otherwise,  who  have 
furnished  the  impetus  and  developed  the  wis- 
dom by  which  present  attainments  have  been 
gained,  and  the  teachers  who  have,  through 
self-denial  and  devotion,  made  present  success 


1 6  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

possible,  have  earned  the  respect  and  won  the 
regard  of  all  friends  of  humanity  to  such  an 
extent  that  we  have  neither  the  intention  nor 
the  desire  to  utter  one  criticism  upon  their 
spirit  or  methods.  Let  no  word  of  ours  be  so 
construed. 


MENTAL   DEVELOPMENT. 


"  Our  pleasures  and  our  discontents 
Are  rounds  by  which  we  may  ascend." 

—  Longfellow. 

"  Each  mind  has  its  own  method."  —  Emerson. 

■'Grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ."  —  2  Pet.  3  :  18. 

"  Nature  never  stands  still,  nor  souls  neither  ;  they  ever  go  up  or  go 
down."  —  Julia  C.  R.  Dorr. 

"  Notwithstanding   a  faculty  "be   born   with   us,   there   are    several 
methods  for  cultivating  and  improving  it." — Addison. 


METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 


CHAPTER   I. 

MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT. 


MAN  with  an  artistic  instinct  does  not 
draw  a  straight  Hne  hesitatingly,  for 
that  makes  it  rough  and  uneven. 
Neither  does  he  strike  it  off  thoughtlessly  at  a 
single  stroke,  for  that  would  curve  or  wave  it. 
He  makes  two  limiting  points,  then  runs  his  eye 
from  one  to  the  other  to  fix  the  direction,  and 
with  a  single  movement  makes  a  line  as  straight 
as  an  arrow. 

The  more  perfect  one's  musical  skill,  the  more 
careful  is  he  never  to  sound  a  note  until  he  has 
the  key  and  has  mentally  caught  the  melody  of 
the  chord. 

The  Sunday-school  teacher  has  entrusted  to 
his  care  the  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual  devel- 

19 


20  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

opment  of  immortal  beings.  The  way  he 
attempts  to  teach  indicates  his  comprehension 
of  the  responsibilities  involved,  and  appreciation 
of  the  methods  and  principles  to  be  employed. 
He  should  know  what  he  has  to  deal  with,  and 
what  he  must  accomplish,  l^he  teacher  needs 
the  key  note  and  the  chord  as  much  as  the 
musician. 

The  first  thing,  therefore,  is  to  consider  the 
principles  of  mental  development.  There  must 
be  knowledge  of  the  child's  mind  in  its  nature 
and  activity.  There  must  be,  also,  a  distinct 
knowledge  of  what  is  to  be  attained  by  training 
the  mind  through  the  study  of  the  ScrijD- 
tures. 

There  is  an  important  psychological  distinc- 
tion between  mental  growth  and  development; 
the  former  being  gradual  increase  in  amount 
and  improvement  in  quality  of  knowledge,  while 
the  latter  is  the  elaboration  of  the  materials 
acquired  in  growth  and  increase  of  facility  and 
power  to  use  knowledge.  Secular  education 
has  often  brought  itself  into  disrepute  by  giving 
undue  attention  to  the  amount  of  knowledge 
attained  and  retained.     The  Sunday-school  has 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  21 

too  generally  tended  in  the  same  direction. 
Those  who  have  moulded  and  controlled  the 
world  in  mechanics  and  arts,  in  commerce  and 
war,  in  literature  and  religion,  have  been  those 
who  have  become  skilful  in  using  knowledge 
with  greatest  readiness,  wisdom,  and  force. 
They  have  acquired  the  art  of  training  the  mind 
through  every  exercise  for  greater  accomplish- 
ment with  the  same  exertion,  or  the  same  result 
with  less  effort. 

■  Christian  living  requires  that  the  mind  de- 
velop ability  to  think,  feel,  and  choose  promptly 
and  effectively  by  applying  the  truth  learned  in 
the  practical  affairs  of  life.  The  aim  of  the 
Sunday-school  should  be  to  teach  the  art  and 
philosophy  of  moulding  the  thought,  feeling, 
and  choice  of  daily  life  according  to  the  Divine 
will  as  expressed  in  conscience  and  Scripture. 

The  bee  stings  with  painful  poison,  or  delights 
with  honey,  according  to  the  application  made  of 
nectar  taken  from  the  flowers. 

Mental  development  is  not  necessarily  a 
blessing  to  the  world.  It  poisons  or  sweetens 
according  to  the  use  made  of  the  power  devel- 
oped.   An  Ingersoll  poisons  the  world  at  a  thou-. 


22  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

sand  dollars  a  night,  a  Moody  helps  the  poor, 
depressed,  conscience-stricken  sinner  nearer 
God.  Each  has  studied  with  care  the  art  of 
influencing  the  mind  and  heart  of  man. 

Mental  development  is  of  such  a  nature  that 
it  needs  to  have  character  development  go 
hand  in  hand  with  it,  and  there  is  no  line  of 
study  or  instruction  that  offers  such  advantages 
as  the  Word  of  God. 

In  the  unfolding  of  mind  and  character 
through  Bible  study  there  are  three  distinctions 
that  may  be  clearly  made,  based  on  the  nature 
of  the  human  mind,  on  the  changes  involved  in 
its  unfolding  at  different  periods,  on  the  peculiar 
adaptations  of  the  various  phases  of  Scripture. 

In  teaching  the  Bible  there  should  be  an 
appreciation  of  three  great  natural  character- 
istics of  children  as  the  mind  unfolds,  the 
earliest  being  memory  age,  followed  by  the  in- 
quisitive age,  which  in  turn  is  followed  by  the 
analytical  age.  This  classification  we  make, 
ignoring  the  relations  of  sensation,  perception, 
etc.,  which  apply  in  secular  education  as  they 
cannot  in  Sunday-school  work. 

I.  Individual  texts  should  be  early  memorized. 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  23 

Great  care  should  be  taken  in  selecting  those 
sentences  that  are  to  be  made  permanent 
dwellers  in  the  mind.  Those  should  be  selected 
that  adapt  themselves  to  every  man,  to  every 
human  experience.  They  may  be  single  verses 
or  paragraphs,  like  the  twenty-third  Psalm,  but 
they  need  to  be  practically  independent  of  all 
other  Scripture.  They  must  point  their  own 
lesson,  unfold  their  own  truth  without  special 
knowledge  of  their  associations  when  uttered. 
They  must  be  rhythmical,  that  the  thought  and 
life  shall  vibrate  harmoniously  with  the  truth 
expressed.  They  must  have  the  secret  art  of 
weaving  themselves  into  the  memory  of  the 
child,  so  that  it  shall  be  easier  to  retain  the 
words  once  learned  than  to  forget  them. 

The  foundation  of  all  systematic  study  of  the 
Bible  should  be  laid  in  a  ready  command,  accu- 
rate and  appreciative,  of  a  large  number  of 
peculiarly  effective  texts.  It  is  not  enough  to 
have  these  learned  for  a  day,  but  they  must  be 
repeated  until  they  are  recalled  unconsciously 
when  needed. 

A  large  part  of  the  earliest  years  of  Bible 
study  should  be  devoted  to  memorizing  texts 


24  METHODS  AND  PRIXCirLES. 

and  paragraphs.  The  power  of  verbal  memory 
is  at  its  height  from  six  to  twelve.  This  is  not 
saying  that  it  may  not  be  cultivated  to  accom- 
plish greater  results  later  in  life  by  a  masterly 
use  of  the  will,  of  laws  of  thought,  etc. ;  but  with 
the  average  —  we  may  almost  say  the  universal 
mind,  the  years  of  natural  verbal  memorizing 
are  under  twelve,  or,  at  most,  fourteen.  With 
people  whose  after-life  is  not  professional  and 
scholastic,  this  is  absolutely  true. 

The  rule  is  that  little  Scripture  will  be  accu- 
rately memorized  and  retained  by  those  who  do 
not  acquire  the  relish  and  the  habit  under 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age.  Children  will 
memorize  the  rhythmical   Scripture  texts  with 

delight  as  early  as  three  years  of  age,  if  the  texts 

t 
are   carefully  selected.     Before   they  are   eight 

they  may  easily  be  taught  almost  indefinitely, 

provided  they  never  have  too   much   assigned, 

and  care  be  taken  in  the  selection. 

The  child  mind  is  getting  ready  to  study  and 

think,  and  in  this  immature  state  it  can  feed 

profitably  upon  truths  that  are  melodious,  truths 

which  stimulate  its  growth  but  make  no  effort 

to  develop  it.     In  the  earliest  years  we  have  no 


MENTAL  D EVELOPMEXT.  2$ 

moral  right  to  develop  the  mind  in  the  strict 
sense.  We  may  feed  it,  we  may  direct  its 
growth.  It  is  difficult  to  state  periods  of 
change  in  years,  but  to  those  who  will  make  due 
allowance  for  variation  in  children  it  may  be 
safe  to  say  that  eight  years  is  about  as  early  as 
we  can  wisely  do  much  by  way  of  developing 
the  powers  of  the  mind.  If  we  try  to  make 
them  think,  we  attain  no  end,  and  merely 
destroy  their  relish  for  thought  when  the  years 
come  in  which  they  should  enjoy  it. 

The  strawberry  is  the  first  fruit  of  the  season. 
It  is  peculiarly  delicious  in  taste.  Its  crisp, 
luscious  freshness  makes  it  a  universal  favorite. 
But  it  must  be  the  first  fruit  to  command  its 
accustomed  admiration.  The  late  strawberry  is 
doomed  to  disappointment.  It  finds  the  taste 
of  the  world  otherwise  occupied.  So  Scripture 
texts,  the  freshest,  fairest,  sweetest  truth  upon 
which  the  child  mind  can  feed,  if  well  chosen,  in 
early  years,  are  never  the  same  in  their  relish 
afterwards.  It  is  a  matter  of  profound  regret 
that  the  Revision  Committee  forgot  the  chil- 
dren when  they  took  the  verses  out  of  the  Bible, 
when  they  robbed  it  of  its  rhythm. 


26  METHODS  AND  FKIXCIPLES. 

If  the  texts  are  learned,  they  will  germinate 
their  thought  under  proper  leadership  as  soon 
as  the  mind  has  maturity  to  appreciate  it. 
When  the  mind  is  prepared  to  think  clearly, 
keenly,  it  is  annoyed  by  the  drudgery  of  memo- 
rizing. A  person  who  sings  by  rote  until  he  is 
sixteen  will  find  it  difficult  to  sing  by  note  after 
that. 

Very  soon  we  may  teach  enough  about  the 
trutJi  of  the  text  to  make  it  clearly  appreciated. 
There  are  many  advantages  in  having  a  text 
beautifully  clothed.  There  is  a  disadvantage 
if  we  content  ourselves  with  verbal  memory. 
The  rhythm  results  from  a  slightly  figurative 
cast  of  the  language.  The  very  beauty  of 
expression  which  makes  it  so  easily  remem- 
bered causes  the  meaning  to  escape  unnoticed. 

After  verses  are  memorized,  special  attention 
should  be  given  to  making  the  meaning  in  its 
simplicity  understood. 

When  there  is  a  self-evident  application  to 
the  truth,  when  it  readily  illustrates  itself  by  a 
little  direction,  time  and  thought  should  be 
given  to  making  the  application,  A  truth  is  of 
little  avail  that  is  not  applied,  that  is  not  at 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  2/ 

command  and  usable  when  needed.  Every 
truth  needs  to  be  harnessed  to  real  life,  and  the 
teacher  must  see  to  it  that  the  child  knows  how 
to  do  it. 

The  life  is  to  be  fashioned  by  the  truth 
learned  in  earliest  years.  In  other  words,  the 
child  is  to  learn  how  to  adapt  his  life  to  the 
truth.  By  the  age  of  ten  or  twelve  it  would 
seem  reasonably  easy  to  teach  the  important, 
standard,  rhythmical  verses,  the  truth  they 
contain,  illustrating  and  adapting  them. 

The  mind  in  those  years  is  getting  its  powers 
in  readiness  to  think  and  reason.  It  is  prepar- 
ing itself  and  accumulating  materials. 

As  the  worm  gives  silk — the  richest  material 
for  dress  goods  —  to  the  world  while  he  is 
getting  ready  to  put  forth  his  wings  of  beauty, 
so  the  mind,  under  proper  training,  may  give  to 
the  entire  character  of  a  lifetime  its  richest 
vestments  while  it  is  getting  ready  to  think  and 
reason. 

Ruskin  tells  us  in  one  of  his  works  that  his 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  was  largely  confined  to 
chapters  that  his  mother  had  him  memorize  in 
boyhood.     Upon    these    well-remembered    pas- 


28  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

sages  of  Scripture  he  has  written  and  lectured 
much  all  these  years.  They  are  as  follows  :  — 
Ex.  15,  20;  2  Sam.  i,  from  7th  verse  ;  i  Kings, 
8;  Ps.  23,  32,  90,  91,  103,  112,  119,  139;  Prov.  2, 
3,8,  1 2  ;  Is.  58  ;  Matt.  5,  6,  7 ;  Acts,  26 ;  i  Cor. 
13,  15  ;  James,  4;  Rev.  5,  6. 
'  II.  Teach  the  circumstances  and  associations 
of  the  truth  as  originally  given.  While  many 
texts  are  clear  without  their  setting,  there  are 
others  that  are  literally  meaningless  until  we 
know  the  customs  of  the  times,  the  habits  of 
the  people.  Teaching  the  geography  or  history 
as  such  is  often  ridiculed,  but  if  these  and  other 
associative  information  are  sought  for  the  sake 
of  making  clear  and  vivid  the  truth  of  God,  they 
are  indispensable.  In  selecting  texts  to  be 
memorized  in  early  life,  none  should  be  chosen 
that  need  such  explanation.  The  te.xts  whose 
power  is  dependent  upon  an  appreciative  un- 
derstanding of  the  time,  manner,  and  circum- 
stances of  the  utterance  should  come  in  gradu- 
ally from  eight  to  fifteen. 

The  associative  aids  of  texts  and  truths  are 
•adapted  to  the  inquisitive  period  of  childhood, 
•when  the  mind  craves  all  possible  explanatory 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  29 

and  illustrative  assistance.  Special  delight  in 
biography,  geography,  and  other  incidentals  of 
truth,  begins  gradually  at  about  eight,  and 
reaches  its  height  at  about  fifteen,  and  then 
begins  to  wane.  This  period  is  nearly  identical 
with  the  inquisitive  years.  The  child  under 
seven  rarely  asks  questions  inquisitively,  except 
as  they  are  suggested  by  some  special  need  or 
striking  circumstance.  From  twelve  to  four- 
teen the  child  will  ask  questions  by  the  day, 
and  that  without  anything,  apparently,  to  sug- 
gest them.  Much  of  the  time  he  does  not 
really  care  whether  they  are  answered  or  not. 
He  will  skip  from  one  thing  to  another  with 
absolute  revelry  of  delight  in  the  mere  privi- 
lege of  asking  questions.  There  are  different 
degrees  of  this  activity  in  different  children, 
but  the  general  fact  abides  that  the  inquisitive 
period,  begins  gradually  at  about  seven  or  eight, 
and  ends  at  about  fifteen. 

During  these  years  he  should  receive  all  the 
information  possible.  As  we  store  his  mind 
with  texts  in  the  early  years,  shading  off  our 
enthusiasm  in  them  as  he  advances  to  the  age 
of    twelve,    so   we  should   begin  to    enlighten 


30  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

him  regarding  all  the  facts,  incidents,  customs, 
habits,  etc.,  of  the  Bible  at  an  average  age  of 
eight,  and  increase  our  attention  to  this  matter 
up  to  fifteen. 

The  cyclamen,  a  rare  little  blossom,  when  it 
opens,  rolls  its  petals  back,  curling  them  by  the 
stem  so  as  to  bring  the  heart  of  the  flower  for- 
ward to  the  light.  Thus  the  child,  in  the  inquis- 
itive years,  seems  chiefly  desirous  of  having  his 
mind  get  all  the  light  upon  truth  that  it  can,  and 
allows  no  pride  or  sensitiveness  to  prevent  him 
from  uncovering  the  truth  to  the  light  of  every 
fact  that  be  shed  upon  it.  This  is  the  time  to 
teach  everything  that  can  aid  the  pupil  to  un- 
derstand the  Scripture. 

Ill,  Group  the  truths  of  the  Bible  with  ref- 
erence to  human  need.  Group  all  the  texts, 
incidents,  historical  facts,  parables,  etc.,  that 
bear  upon  the  given  subject.  Without  this 
systematic  work  we  have  not  accomplished  our 
mission.  Above  the  age  of  fifteen,  on  the  aver- 
age, the  mind  makes  new  demands.  It  now 
seeks  opportunities  to  use  what  it  has  acquired. 
The  same  spirit  that  gives  uneasiness  and  the 
wish  to  leave  school  and  get  into  business  leads 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  3  I 

the  youth  to  desire  opportunity  for  original, 
independent,  mental  activity.  He  is  no  longer 
content  with  verbal  memorizing,  no  longer  de- 
sires to  ask  questions.  The  lad  that  at  twelve 
asked  questions  indefinitely,  even  about  things 
of  which  he  did  not  care  to  know,  will  not,  at 
eighteen,  ask  for  information  that  he  is  really 
desirous  of  obtaining.  He  seems  mortified  that 
he  does  not  know,  and  looks  upon  it  as  an  ex- 
hibition of  ignorance. 

Teachers  of  young  people  from  fourteen  to 
twenty  complain  because  they  will  not  ask 
questions.  It  is  not  natural.  It  is  not  the  in- 
quisitive age.  But,  if  properly  handled,  they 
will  do  more  valuable  work,  will  think  for  them- 
selves with  relish ;  but  they  must  be  started  right. 
Their  minds  are  naturally  interested  in  classi- 
fication; in  analytical,  logical  considerations. 

There  is  a  tendency  in  youth  to  retire  from 
the  fireside,  to  be  reticent  with  parents,  and  to 
drop  out  of  Sunday-school.  If  their  interest 
in  home  or  church  is  to  be  retained,  there  must 
be  a  change  in  the  method  and  manner.  Even 
the  affectionate,  motherly  way  that  was  so 
caressingly  tender  and  so  warmly  appreciated 


32  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

at  twelve  is  sometimes  repelled  at  seventeen. 
Parental  authority  has  to  be  asserted  judi- 
ciously or  there  is  rebellion.  Wise  parents 
find  ways  by  which  to  retain  the  affection, 
companionship,  and  control  of  their  children 
through  these  years.  Some  teachers  have  an 
intuitive  art  by  which  they  hold  the  interest 
and  attention  of  the  boys  through  these  years, 
but  more  do  not  have  the  tact  or  secure  the 
results.  We  must  not  be  content  until  we  re- 
tain most  of  the  youth,  and  develop  them  into 
keen,  devout,  loyal  students,  and  associates  of 
Christian  people. 

There  is  no  branch  of  study  that  will  inter- 
est so  many  youth  so  thoroughly  as  the  Bible, 
when  it  is  analytically  studied.  Let  pupils  do 
their  own  searching,  with  such  suggestions  as 
the  teacher  may  think  wise  to  make.  It  will 
be  slow  work  at  first,  but  it  pays  in  the  famil- 
iarity it  gives  with  the  Bible,  and  the  power 
attained  to  estimate  the  meaning  of  truth. 

This  practice  will  fix  the  texts  in  the  mind 
more  firmly,  will  give  them  new  meaning,  will 
impart  intensity  to  their  authority  by  empha- 
sizing their  utility. 


MEXTAL  DEVELOrMEXT.  33 

This  grouping  may  be  made  to  take  the  place 
of  doctrines,  which  are  so  loudly  and  indefi- 
nitely called  for  in  some  quarters.  There  are 
many  biographical  names  about  which  texts 
may  be  grouped  to  advantage.  Any  name 
specially  identified  with  the  development  of 
truth  offers  such  advantages.  For  illustration, 
group  the  texts  that  relate  to  Abraham,  throw- 
ing light  upon  his  life  and  mission.  Better 
than  any  amount  of  theory  or  abstract  com- 
ment on  the  indorsement  the  New  Testament 
gives  the  Old  is  the  experience  young  people 
get  in  learning  all  they  can  of  a  patriarch 
like  Abraham,  finding  references  to  him  in  Mat- 
thew, Mark,  Luke,  John,  the  Acts,  Romans, 
Corinthians,  Galatians,  Hebrews,  James,  and 
Peter. 

There  is  no  better  temperance  lesson  possible 
than  to  have  the  pupils  search  out  for  them- 
selves all  the  texts  that  command  sobriety,  that 
emphasize  the  evils  of  drunkenness,  that  pre- 
sent a  penalty  for  drunkenness,  etc. 

The  Commandments  gain  immeasurably  by 
the  grouping  about  each  such  other  Scrip- 
ture as  explains  or  emphasizes  it.     The  Beati- 


34  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

tudes  in  the  same  way  gain  greatly  by  grouping 
around  each,  texts  that  enlarge  upon  it. 

For  a  general  outline  of  grouping  texts,  histo- 
rical incidents,  parables,  etc.,  there  are  advan- 
tages in  taking  them  in  this  order,  those  relating 
to  man,  to  Christ,  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  God. 

Each  of  these  would  naturally  be  subdivided. 
It  would  follow  the  theological  line  better  to 
reverse  the  order  and  group  the  texts  that 
relate  to  God  first,  but  our  aim  is  to  get  results. 
The  logic  of  results  is  to  touch  the  pupil  where 
his  thought  will  count  for  most.  The  youthful 
mind  will  respond  most  readily  to  interests 
nearest  at  hand,  most  personal.  The  Word  of 
God  everywhere  teaches  of  the  Lord.  Every 
text,  coming  as  the  authority  of  God,  reveals 
somewhat  his  character.  Beginning  with  God, 
our  reasoning  is  inevitably  abstract,  and  as  the 
purpose  of  the  Sunday-school  is  not  to  teach 
theology,  but  God's  Word,  we  shall  do  that  most 
effectively  from  the  concrete  side. 

There  are  those  who  seem  to  have  con- 
scientious scruples  against  adapting  even  the 
thought  or  speech  to  youth,  preferring  to 
adapt  youth  to  the  standard  of  mature  methods. 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  35 

Fragrant  flowers  are  always  notional,  and  will 
never  thrive  except  as  the  cultivation  is  adapted 
to  them.  Theoretically,  plants  need  the  sun,  a 
warm  climate,  much  moisture,  and  rich  soil. 
Multitudes  of  plants  will  only  grow  away  from 
the  sun,  others  demand  a  cold  climate,  a  dry 
soil,  or  sand.  He  who  would  raise  plants  on  an 
abstract  theory  of  the  adaptability  of  sun,  soil, 
climate,  and  heat,  would  find  himself  killing  off 
most  of  the  beauty  he  would  possess. 

It  is  a  surprising  fact  that  scarcely  one 
fragrant  plant  meets  the  ideal  requirements. 
Weeds  are  not  notional ;  they  always  respond 
when  abstract  theories  are  applied.  But  weeds 
are  never  fragrant,  —  in  the  accepted  sense. 
If  we  would  develop  youth  in  the  love  and 
power  of  the  truth  and  its  personal  Author,  we 
must  adapt  ourselves  to  the  age,  experiences, 
and  necessities  of  those  whom  we  would  de- 
velop. The  world  is  filled  with  weeds  by 
means  of  the  best  endeavors  ill-adapted  to  the 
end  in  view. 

In  illustrating  the  subdivision  of  subjects  in 
grouping  texts,  the  following  is  presented  as  a 
sample  of  a  few  divisions  under  Man. 


36  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

I.  His  Needs.  —  i.  Social :  Relation  to  parents : 
relation  to  children  ;  relation  to  friends  ;  relation 
to  enemies ;  relation  to  neighbors ;  business 
relations,     2,  Personal :  temporal ;  spiritual. 

II.  Consequences  of  Conduct.  —  i.  Of  right 
doing ;  in  present  ;  in  eternity.  2.  Of  wrong 
doing.  3.  Of  right  speaking.  4.  Of  wrong 
speaking.  5.  Of  good  companionship.  6.  Of 
bad  companionship. 

To  exemplify  this  more  fully,  a  few  Scrip- 
ture references  are  given  under  Man's  Social 
Needs  :  — 

RELATION    TO    PARENTS. 

Ye  shall  fear  every  man  his  mother  and  his 
father  (Lev.  19:  3).  Cursed  be  he  that  setteth 
light  by  his  father  or  his  mother  (Deut.  27 :  16). 
Hearken  unto  thy  father  that  begat  thee  and 
thy  mother  when  she  is  old  (Prov.  23  :  22). 
Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  as  the  Lord 
thy  God  hath  commanded  thee :  that  thy  days 
may  be  prolonged,  and  that  it  may  go  well  with 
'thee  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee  (Deut.  5  :  16).  What  shall  I  do  that  I 
may  inherit  eternal  life }  .  .  .  Honor  thy  father 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  37 

and  thy  mother  (Luke  18:18,  19).  Honor  thy 
father  and  mother,  which  is  the  first  command- 
ment with  promise,  that  it  may  be  well  with 
thee  and  thou  mayest  live  long  on  the  earth 
(Eph.  6:  23).  My  son,  keep  thy  father's  com- 
mandment, and  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy 
mother:  bind  them  continually  upon  thine  heart 
and  tie  them  about  thy  neck  (Prov.  6:  20,  21). 
Children,  obey  your  parents  in  the  Lord  :  for 
this  is  right  (Eph.  6 :  i).  Children,  obey  your 
parents  in  all  things :  for  this  is  well  pleas- 
ing unto  the  Lord  (Col.  3  :  20).  A  wise  son 
maketh  a  glad  father :  but  a  foolish  son  is  the 
heaviness  of  his  mother  (Prov.   15  :  20). 

RELATION    OF    PARENTS    TO    CHILDREN. 

And  thou  shalt  teach  them  [the  Scriptures] 
diligently  to  thy  children  (Deut.  6  :  7,  8).  Train 
up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when 
he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it  (Prov. 
22  :  6).  Fathers,  provoke  not  your  children 
to  anger,  lest  they  be  discouraged  (Col.  3:21.) 
Provoke  not  your  children  to  wrath  :  but  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of 
the  Lord  (Eph.  6  : 4.)     Correct  thy  son  and  he 


38  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

shall  give  thee  rest ;  yea,  he  shall  give  delight 
unto  thy  soul  (Prov.  29  :  17).  The  rod  and 
reproof  give  wisdom  ;  but  a  child  left  to  himself 
bringeth  his  mother  to  shame  (Prov.  29:15). 
Chasten  thy  son  while  there  is  hope  (Prov. 
13:18).  He  that  spareth  his  rod  hateth  his 
son  :  but  he  that  loveth  him  chasteneth  him 
betimes  (Prov,  13  :  24). 

RELATION    TO    FI^IENDS. 

A  man  that  hath  friends  must  show  himself 
friendly ;  and  there  is  a  friend  that  sticketh 
closer  than  a  brother  (Prov.  18:24).  As  in 
water  face  answereth  to  face,  so  the  heart  of 
man  to  man  (Prov.  27  :  19).  Can  two  walk 
together  except  they  be  agreed  (Amos  3  :  3). 
A  friend  loveth  at  all  times  (Prov.  17:17). 
Faithful  are  the  wounds  of  a  friend  (Prov.  27  :  6). 
Two  are  better  than  one  ....  for  if  they 
fall,  the  one  will  lift  up  his  fellow  :  bnt  woe  to 
him  that  is  alone  when  he  falleth,  for  he  hath 
not  another  to  lift  him  up  (Ec.  4:9,  10).  Make 
no  friendship  with  an  angry  man  :  and  with  a 
furious  man  thou  shalt  not  go,  lest  thou  learn 
his  ways  (Prov.  22  :  24,  25). 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMEjVT.  39 


RELATION    TO    ENEMIES. 

The  soul  of  the  wicked  desireth  evil :  his 
neighbor  findeth  no  favor  in  his  eyes  (Prov. 
21  :  10).  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that 
curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and 
pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  you  and  per- 
secute you  (Matt.  5  :44).  And  when  ye  stand 
praying,  forgive,  if  ye  have  aught  against  any  : 
that  your  Father  also  which  is  in  heaven  may 
forgive  you  your  trespasses.  But  if  ye  do  not 
forgive,  neither  will  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven  forgive  your  trespasses  (Mark  11:25, 
26).  Forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our 
debtors  (Matt.  6:  12).  Parable  cf  the  unmerci- 
ful servant  (Matt.  18:23-35).  Agree  with 
thine  adversary  quickly,  while  thou  art  in  the 
way  with  him  (Matt.  5  :  25).  If  thou  bring  thy 
gift  to  the  altar,  and  there  rememberest  that 
thy  brother  hath  aught  against  thee ;  leave 
there  thy  gift  before  the  altar,  and  go  thy  way ; 
first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then 
come  and  offer  thy  gift  (Matt.  5  :  23,  24). 


40  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

The  more  minute  the  subdivisions;  provided 
there  be  texts  to  supply  them,  the  closer  the 
thought  required  in  grouping  and  classifying 
truth,  the  greater  the  intellectual  and  moral 
benefit  attained. 

Beside  such  systematic  research  for  texts 
with  a  view  to  a  logical  classification  by  their 
thought  and  application  to  specific  need,  how 
frivolous  seems  the  exercise  we  sometimes  wit- 
ness of  directing  a  school  to  search  for  the 
"hands,"  "eyes,"  "ears,"  "feet,"  etc.,  of  the 
Bible. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  minor  benefits 
of  this  search  for  truths  to  meet  specific  needs : 
It  renders  independent  thought  both  possible 
and  profitable,  and  prompts  to  a  right  applica- 
tion of  Scripture  remedies  to  human  necessi- 
ties. It  places  teacher  and  pupils  on  a  common 
footing,  and  brings  them  into  sympathy  by  the 
development  of  a  spirit  of  harmony  in  thought 
and  interest.  It  leads  to  the  formation  of  habits 
of  applying  Scripture,  of  looking  at  every  pas- 
sage to  sec  where  it  fits  into  the  affairs  of  every- 
day life. 

The  growing  mind  needs  mental.  Scriptural 


MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT.  41 

food  in  abundance.  The  character  of  the  ma- 
ture mind  depends  upon  it  more  largely  than  is 
generally  supposed.  A  large  man  does  not  ne- 
cessarily eat  more  than  a  small  man.  Size  and 
food  have  no  appreciable  relation  to  each  other 
in  manhood.  In  youth,  when  size  is  being  de- 
termined, the  quantity  of  food  usually  repre- 
sents growth.  In  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual 
matters  it  is  even  more  true  that,  as  we  feed  and 
exercise  the  intellect,  emotions,  and  will,  we 
determine  the  maturity  and  power  of  the  man. 

Some  phases  of  the  development  of  the  indi- 
vidual mind  may  be  best  learned  by  studying 
the  development  of  mind  in  history.  Take 
music  as  an  illustration.  For  centuries  there 
was  no  suspicion  of  any  higher  phase  of  music 
than  Melody,  or  a  succession  of  notes.  It  was 
not  until  the  sixteenth  century  that  there  was 
any  approach  to  Harmony,  or  the  combination 
of  simultaneous  tones.  It  was  not  until  the 
eighteenth  century  that,  under  Mozart  and 
Haydn,  the  art  of  harmonizing  instruments  of 
different  capacities  was  developed.  In  music, 
therefore,  it  was  the  appreciation  of  the  simple, 
melodious  notes  of  the  scale  that  satisfied  the 


42  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

ear  and  mind  of  the  world  for  centuries.  Then 
it  was  a  knowledge  of  the  simple  relations  of 
similar  tones  to  each  other;  and  when  the  taste 
and  ear  of  the  world  were  developed,  there  was 
a  demand  for  the  fullest  and  most  complicated 
grouping  of  tones  by  every  conceivable  variety 
of  instrument.  Thus  in  the  individual  mind 
there  is  first  an  appreciation  of  the  simple, 
beautiful  texts  of  the  Word  of  God  ;  then  there 
is  an  inquiry  as  to  the  relations  of  these  truths 
to  each  other,  and  to  the  associations  in  which 
they  were  born ;  and  lastly,  there  is  a  demand 
for  every  conceivable  grouping  of  these  truths 
to  make  the  most  perfect  and  intricate  harmony 
for  the  benefit  of  man  and  the  glory  of  God. 


ART   OF   THINKING. 


"  Thought  alone  is  eternal."  —  Owen  Meredith. 

"  Thought  is  deeper  than  all  speech."  —  Cranch. 

"  The  power  of  thought  —  the  magic  of  the  mind."  —  Byron. 

"  Thought  by  thought  piled,  till  some  great  truth  is  loosened." 

—  Shelley. 

"  What  think  ye  of  Christ  ?  "  —  Matt.  22  :  42. 

"  When  I  was  a  child  I  thought  as  a  child."  —  i  Cor.  13  :  ii. 

"  They  are  never  alone  that  are  accompanied  with  noble  thoughts." 
—  Sidney. 

"  The  child's  reasoning  powers  are,  as  it  were,  the  wings  with  which 
he  will  eventually  have  to  fly."  —  Landon. 

"  Not  that  we  are  sufficient  of  ourselves  to  think  anything  as  of  our- 
selves, but  our  sufficiency  is  of  God."  —  2  Cor.  3  :  5. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ART    OF    THINKING. 

HO  can  estimate  the  distance  between 
an  indistinct  and  a  distinct  thought .'' 
Who  can  measure  the  difference  be- 
tween inaccurate  and  accurate  thinking  ?  What 
is  the  distinction  in  power  between  a  vague  and 
a  clear  idea  ? 

There  is  philosophy  in  thought.  There  is  art 
in  thinking. 

The  business  man  learns  to  think  distinctly, 
accurately,  clearly,  without  studying  any  art, 
without  adhering  to  any  philosophy.  The  na- 
tive elasticity  of  an  active  mind  in  a  vigorous 
body,  the  facility  of  the  mind  in  adapting  its 
methods  in  emergencies,  the  tendency  of  the 
mind  to  evolve  a  power  of  thought  through  ex- 
periment, gives  a  business  or  professional  man 
a  power  of  thought,  a  skill  in  thinking,  without 
definite  training.     Trusting  to  the  survival  of 

45 


46  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

the  fittest,  they  come  to  have  an  effective,  if  not 
a  scholastic,  art  of  thinking. 

No  accidental  art  of  thought  is  reliable  in 
dealing  with  the  truth  of  God.  The  truth,  as  far 
as  it  relates  to  the  plan  of  salvation  and  the 
precepts  of  morality,  is  so  clear  that  a  wayfaring 
man,  though  a  fool,  need  not  err.  The  ignor- 
ance of  many  black  preachers  in  the  South  has 
been  a  revelation  of  the  possibilities  of  preach- 
ing the  truth  so  far  as  the  plan  of  salvation  is 
concerned,  while  having  no  conception  of  the 
meaning  of  the  Scripture  which  they  entirely 
misused,  but  from  which  they  drew  another 
truth  in  itself  correct. 

We  heard  the  Rev.  John  Jasper,  in  Rich- 
mond, preach  his  famous  sermon  on  "The  sun  do 
move,"  in  which  he  abused  half  a  hundred  texts 
scientifically,  making  the  Scriptures  teach  that 
the  patriarchs,  prophets,  Psalmist,  apostles,  and 
Christ  teach  that  the  sun  "do  move;"  that  it 
was  a  sin  against  God  to  attempt  to  measure  the 
distance  of  the  heavenly  bodies ;  that  the  earth 
was  not  round,  but  flat,  and  had  four  corners.  All 
the  time  that  he  was  scientifically  abusing  the 
Scriptures,    he    pointed    several    grand    truths 


ART  OF  THINKIXG.  47 

morally  and  spiritually,  and  one  of  the  grandest 
efforts  to  which  we  have  listened  was  his  inci- 
dental description  of  the  passage  of  the  Red 
Sea,  illustrating  it  by  reference  to  the  recent  de- 
liverance of  his  own  race,  with  whom  he  had 
been  in  slavery  forty  years. 

None  or  all  of  these  things,  however,  relieve 
the  church  of  the  responsibility  of  doing  all  it 
can  to  make  the  thought  of  the  pulpit  and  pew 
distinct,  accurate,  clear,  and  loyal.  A  distin- 
guishing feature  of  the  human  mind  is  its  pos- 
sibility of  development.  Its  various  faculties 
increase  in  strength,,  in  discriminating  skill,  in 
rapidity  and  reliability  of  action,  in  permanency 
of  effect  through  systematic  training.  The 
more  correct  and  scientific  the  method,  the  more 
prompt  and  complete  is  its  development. 

The  mind  has  peculiar  attachment  for  any 
line  of  thought  in  which  it  is  developed.  It 
views  with  reverential  awe  any  philosophy 
through  which  it  has  been  disciplined.  It  fol- 
lows enthusiastically  any  master  who  has  led  it 
to  victory. 

Soldiers  care  little  for  the  personal  character- 
istics of  an  officer,  provided  he  be  a  brilliant 


48  METHODS  AND  rRINCIPLES. 

commander  in  drill,  a  heroic  leader  in  battle. 
So  the  mind  swears  hearty  allegiance  to  philoso- 
phies with  which  it  has  no  natural  affiliation, 
and  to  masters  with  whom  it  has  nothing  in 
common,  simply  because  the  mental  faculties 
delight  in  being  marshalled,  in  their  philosophic 
evolutions,  under  expert  generalship. 

The  mind  is  never  so  content  as  when  it 
receives  its  highest,  broadest  development  in 
Bible  philosophy.  It  follows  no  leaders  more 
ardently  than  devout,  intelligent,  fervent  Chris- 
tian scholars  and  philosophers.  There  is  no 
other  line  of  study  in  which  such  perfection  and 
vigor  of  development  of  the  mind  in  its  entirety 
is  possible.  Much  of  the  skepticism  and  bane- 
ful philosophy  of  anti-Christian  thought  is  due 
to  lack  of  method  and  constancy  of  application 
on  the  part  of  those  who  should  have  led  in  the 
wise  development  of  the  mind. 

The  outline  of  method  may  be  concisely 
stated. 

I.  Appreciation  of  single,  simple  facts  and 
truths.  In  secular  education  the  important 
thing  in  reasoning  is  to  be  clear,  accurate,  dis- 
tinct in  our  premises.     Processes  of  reaching 


ART  OF   THLVA'/XG.  49 

conclusions  are  of  no  value  if  we  are  not  skilled 
in  the  art  of  perception  and  conception  in 
regard  to  initial  facts.  The  foundations  are 
nowhere  more  vital  than  here.  The  expert 
instructor  in  any  art  detains  the  pupil  upon  a 
few  rudiments  until  his  patience  is  nearly  ex- 
hausted. After  that  he  advances  him  rapidly. 
In  penmanship  it  is  a  few  initial  strokes  and 
movements  ;  in  drawing,  a  few  lines  and  combi- 
nations ;  in  music,  a  few  notes,  —  that  absorb 
the  time. 

In  thinking,  the  foundation  of  success  lies  in 
the  keenest,  clearest  power  to  handle  individual 
facts.  We  must  know  single  facts  personally, 
as  it  were.  We  must  have  power  to  dissociate 
the  abstract  idea  suggested  from  the  concrete 
thing  which  suggested  it.  We  must  know 
every  single  thought  without  reference  to  the 
manner  of  its  dress.  Those  who  know  people 
by  their  clothes,  or  even  by  their  features,  have 
an  immature  mind,  while  those  who  know  them 
by  dissociating  the  characteristics  from  all  at- 
tachments of  dress  or  peculiarities  of  feature 
have  the  mind  in  training  for  better  work. 
The  first  condition  of  clear  thought  is  apprecia,- 


50  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

tion  of  every  fact  and  truth  so  as  to  recognize 
it  in  its  essence,  under  whatever  conditions  it 
presents  itself.  The  steps  in  the  cultivation  of 
this  art  are  these  :  — 

1.  Appreciation  of  that  which  is  present, 
which  interests  by  its  presence,  by  its  active 
associations. 

2.  Appreciation  of  that  which  is  present,  but 
interests  because  of  its  suggestion  of  memories 
or  past  associations. 

3.  Appreciation  of  that  which  is  present,  but 
interests  because  of  its  suggestions  of  possibili- 
ties through  the  imagination,  inventive  genius, 
or  otherwise. 

4.  Appreciation  of  that  which  is  absent,  but  is 
recalled  to  the  mind  by  memory  or  imagination. 

Each  of  these  steps  indicates  an  advance  in 
mental  development,  and  whoever  finds  his  ap- 
preciation of  single  facts  or  truths — present 
and  absent  —  trustworthy,  has  the  foundation 
of  good  thinking. 

Nowhere  is  this  distinction  more  important 
than  in  Bible  study.  We  can  scarcely  dwell 
too  long  upon  the  fundamentals  of  Christian 
thought  and  Divine  truth. 


ART  OF  THINKING.  5  I 

Definitions  are  very  rarely  taught  in  Sunday- 
school,  and  yet  they  are  worth  a  whole  system 
of  theology  without  them.  A  clear  apprehen- 
sion of  the  meaning  of  terms  used  in  theology, 
a  wide  dissemination  of  definite  thought  in  re- 
gard to  words  and  phrases  used  in  theologic 
argument,  would  make  theology  interesting  and 
profitable,  where  now  it  is  dull,  repulsive,  and 
harmful.  The  last  two  chapters  of  this  work 
deal  with  definitions  so  far  as  they  are  useful  in 
those  subjects,  partly  by  way  of  illustration  of 
the  possibilities  in  this  direction.  We  need  to 
devote  a  large  part  of  the  time  and  energy  of 
the  Sunday-school  to  teaching  the  texts  and 
truths  that  are  fundamental. 

II.  Discrimination  between  facts  or  truths  to 
note  their  differences.  As  soon  as  we  appreci- 
ate facts  or  truths,  we  instinctively  note  dissimi- 
larities, and  the  power  which  it  indicates  should 
be  promptly,  vigorously  developed.  The  man 
who  has  permanent  employment  and  the  best  ' 
pay  in  mechanics  has  this  skill.  It  indicates 
the  expert  in  any  department.  The  courts  rec- 
ognize this  mastery  of  mind,  and  will  receive  tes- 
timony which  the  rules  otherwise  exclude,  if  it 


52  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

be  given  by  an  expert  who  has  acquired  a  repu- 
tation as  well  as  proficiency  in  detecting  differ- 
ences at  sight,  understanding  their  significance. 
There  are  steps  in  the  development  of  this  art. 

I.  Skill  in  discriminating  between  things  both 
of  which  are  present.  It  is  the  earliest,  most 
natural  way  of  applying  or  developing  the  art. 
We  all  discriminate  in  things  in  which  we  are 
interested,  and  think  it  strange  that  others  do 
not.  The  lady  of  fashion  is  haunted  for  weeks 
by  bad  taste.  A  certain  art  club  of  Boston  me- 
morialized the  city  government,  in  a  most  elabo- 
rate and  formal  way,  to  protect  people  of  artistic 
taste  from  the  "  hideous  and  ridiculous  "  monu- 
ments, fountains,  etc.,  "  architectural  and  sculp- 
tural monstrosities,"  which  have  been  inflicted 
on  the  city.  These  very  objects  of  such  bitter 
denunciations  had  been  supposed  to  be  beautiful 
by  those  who  had  no  skill  in  artistic  discrimina- 
tion. Every  member  of  that  horrified  club  has 
his  weaknesses,  in  which  his  tastes  or  opinions 
would  be  as  hideous,  ridiculous  monstrosities  as 
these  fountains. 

The  author  knows  a  farmer  who  was  born  and 
bred  on  a  farm,  and  has  handled  cattle  from  early 


ART  OF  THIXKING.  53 

boyhood,  and  at  the  age  of  fifty  is  bothered  to 
tell  which  is  the  "  nigh  ox  "  of  the  yoke.  But 
that  man  knows  every  butterfly,  bug,  or  other 
insect  at  sight  that  ever  flew  in  that  county. 

2.  Skill  in  discriminating  between  facts, 
thoughts,  truths,  one  of  which  is  absent.  The 
physician's  success  in  the  diagnosis  of  a  case  lies 
in  his  power  to  distinguish  between  the  symp- 
toms of  the  case  in  hand  and  one  that  is  not 
present.  Frequently  he  is  discriminating  be- 
tween an  actual  present  case  and  an  ideal  case 
that  in  its  details  never  occurred. 

The  lawyer  requires  a  similar  power  to  ima- 
gine or  recall  a  case,  and  then  make  the  jury 
discriminate  between  this  case  and  that. 

This  phase  of  Bible  study  has  been  too  long 
ignored.  Every  truth,  after  it  is  distinctly 
known,  needs  to  be  discriminated  from  other 
truth.  One  of  the  remarkable  things  about  the 
Word  of  God  is  the  fact  that,  while  it  is  so  plain 
that  the  "  wayfaring  man  "  need  not  misunder- 
stand any  moral  or  spiritual  truth  it  teaches,  at 
the  same  time  its  fullest  meaning  necessitates 
the  most  delicate  exactness  in  so  small  a  matter 
as  emphasis  and  inflection.     Although  the  same 


54  METHODS  AXD  PRIXCIPLES. 

truth  seems  told  several  times,  it  is  questionable 
whether  there  is  an  instance  in  which,  taking 
the  associations  into  account,  there  is  any  truth 
stated  in  two  places  in  the  Bible  in  which  there 
is  not  a  shade  of  difference.  Even  the  same 
text  written  in  Matthew  and  Luke  has  a  slightly 
different  force  because  of  the  different  intent 
of  the  chronicler,  and  the  different  attitude  of 
the  audience. 

The  incident  recorded  in  John  4:  9-26  —  the 
woman  of  Samaria  —  gets  much  of  its  force  from 
the  discriminating  emphasis  of  verse  18,  "Thou 
hast  well  said,  I  Jiavc  no  husband  ;  for  thou  hast 
had_/fzr  husbands  :  and  he  whom  thou  now  hast 
is  not  thy  Jiusband ;  in  that  saidst  thou  truly." 
This  shows  by  emphasis  what  otherwise  might 
not  appear,  that  she  was  living  a  disreputable  life. 

In  John,  chapter  21,  occur  the  words,  "Lovest 
thou  me  .-' "  in  three  successive  verses.  Clear 
discrimination  gives  peculiar  force  to  each  ques- 
tion, which  would  be  entirely  lost  if  there  were 
but  one,  and  is  lost  if  they  are  all  read  in  the 
same  way.  "  Lovest  thou  me  more  than  these  ?  " 
"  Lovest  thou  ;«t' .?  "  "Zi^T'^'i'/thou  me  .'' "  Even 
the  oriainal  is  different  in  the  last  case  to  em- 


ART  OF  THINKIA'G.  55 

phasize  the  peculiarly  tender,  personal  and  em- 
phatic love  that  is  intended  as  in  distinction 
from  the  other  queries. 

There  is  §trong  temptation  to  continue  these 
illustrations,  but  from  those  already  given  it  will 
be  readily  seen  how  much  scope  there  is  for  un- 
folding a  Bible  within  the  Bible,  —  a  new  text  in 
'almost  every  text  in  the  Scriptures.  The  teacher 
gains  power  to  make  the  Word  of  God  the  most 
fascinating  of  studies  when  she  trains  her  pupils 
to  love  to  discriminate  sharply,  to  seek  what  the 
text  does  not  mean,  and  what  it  does  mean,  that 
no  other  Scripture  does. 

III.  Skill  in  comparing  facts,  thoughts,  truths, 
with  a  view  to  noting  resemblances.  This  is  a 
constructive  art,  and  is  of  a  higher  grade  than 
the  last.  Critics  are  usually  men  who  have  de- 
veloped the  art  of  noting  differences  without  the 
positive  virtue  of  observing  resemblances.  Mo- 
rose, caustic,  uncomfortable  people  are  usually 
those  who  have  trained  themselves  to  observe 
the  dissimilarity  in  men,  in  circumstances,  in 
truth,  while  the  genial,  hopeful,  joyous  members 
of  society  are  those  who  have  accustomed  them- 
selves to  look  for  resemblances. 


56  METHODS  AND  PRIAXIPLES. 

This  art  must  be  built  upon  the  former.  Those 
who  see  only  the  hopeful  side  of  affairs  are  as  un- 
safe as  the  other  extreme  is  uncomfortable.  The 
high  art  is  in  knowing  how  to  analyze  and  dis- 
criminate sharply,  and  then  out  of  the  differ- 
ences build  up  from  resemblances.  Theology 
that  shall  command  the  respect  of  all  classes  of 
thoughtful  minds,  irrespective  of  inherited  pre- 
judices, will  be  the  grouping  of  similar  truths, 
after  they  have  been  sharply  discriminated, 
having  been  first  clearly  appreciated.  There 
are  few  tributes  to  divine  wisdom  more  direct, 
simple,  and  grand  than  that  which  the  Bible 
pays  to  man's  possibilities  through  the  triune 
deity,  when,  without  any  theological  attempt, 
we  appreciate  truth,  discriminate  in  the  study 
of  it,  and  then  classify  it  according  to  its  resem- 
blances. It  is  like  the  chemist's  art  in  placing 
a  substance  in  solution,  keeping  it  thus  until  it 
has  lost  its  crude  affinities,  allowing  it  then  to 
crystallize  according  to  the  higher  laws  of  its 
nature. 

Theology  is  only  allowable  when  it  is  the  crys- 
tallized beauty  and  glory  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
the  Word  of  God. 


ART  OF  THIXKING.  $y 

IV.  Skill  in  estimating  the  consequences  of 
facts,  thoughts,  and  truths  neglected,  rejected, 
or  applied.  Thought  is  not  mature  until  it  is 
materialized.  A  theory  that  will  not  work  in 
practice ;  an  invention  that  cannot  be  made  to 
do  what,  in  the  abstract,  it  can  be  made  to  ap- 
pear to  do  ;  a  profession  that  is  not  possession 
in  character,  —  is  useless. 

There  are  numberless  men  who  have  made  a 
hundred  fortunes  in  the  abstract,  who  never  paid 
their  honest  bills  a  single  month  of  their  life. 
The  shores  of  financial  life  are  strewn  with  men 
who  were  rich  so  long  as  they  could  pass  their 
credit  for  goods,  but  were  disgraced  as  soon  as 
the  creditors  tried  to  realize.  The  Patent  Office 
is  the  receptacle  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
inventions,  most  of  which  lacked  the  practical 
element  of  estimating  the  consequences  of  an 
application  of  their  principle.  There  are  multi- 
tudes of  men  of  eminent  learning,  of  extraordi- 
nary power  of  thought,  theoretically,  who  are 
comparatively  worthless  members  of  society  be- 
cause they  cannot  apply  their  thought.  They 
can  link  their  chariot  to  a  star,  but  not  to  earth. 

A  physician  of  comparatively   slight  profes- 


58  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

sional  training,  provided  he  have  thorough  train- 
ing in  the  fundamentals,  may  succeed  where  the 
most  learned  fail,  by  acquiring  practical  skill  in 
estimating  promptly  and  discriminatingly  the 
effect  of  treatment.  In  the  legal  profession 
the  same  truth  is  verified  by  experience.  In  the 
ministry,  in  teaching,  in  literature,  it  is  the  same. 
The  scholarly  men  for  whom  the  world  has  no 
need  console  themselves  with  the  fact  that  the 
world  likes  to  be  humbugged,  and  only  hum- 
bugs succeed,  but  the  fact  remains  that  with 
insignificant  exceptions  the  world  wants  men  of 
brains,  but  of  brains  applied  to  real  life. 

The  spider  eats  double  quantity,  —  part  for  its 
life,  and  part  for  the  purpose  of  spinning  webs. 
When  it  ceases  to  spin,  it  ceases  to  eat,  and  dies 
eventually  because  it  will  not  spin.  Men  with 
brains  must  feed  their  minds  doubly  well,  for  the 
sake  of  growth  and  of  development,  or  the  use 
of  its  knowledge  and  power  for  the  world's  en- 
lightenment. ]\Ien  who  will  not  weave  their 
thoughts  into  the  network  of  daily  life  must  be 
content  with  the  mental  dyspepsia  which  leads 
to  uselessness  and  unhappiness. 

The  virtue  of  the  Bible  is  in  the  application 


ART  OF  THINKING.  59 

of  its  truth.  It  was  written,  as  no  other  book 
ever  was,  to  be  applied.  It  has  no  merit  until 
it  is  rooted  in  action.  Oats  placed  on  cotton  in 
a  glass  of  water  will  sprout  promptly  and  grow 
with  fabulous  rapidity  for  a  few  days,  but  will 
never  stalk  up  or  bear  grain.  They  must  be 
rooted  in  the  earth  if  they  are  ever  to  become 
food  in  stalk  or  seed. 

Truth  can  only  benefit  the  possessor  or  the 
world  when  it  is  rooted  in  every-day  life. 

The  power  of  teaching  the  Word  of  God  is 
measurable  by  the  thought  developed,  and  the 
application  made  in  the  disposition,  in  the  acts 
towards  friends  and  enemies,  in  habits  of  speech, 
in  worship,  and  in  spirituality. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  man  who  quoted  the 
Bible  fluently  ;  who  had  an  unctuous  tone  ;  who 
went  everywhere  but  to  his  own  church';  who 
found  attendance  upon  public  meetings,  conven- 
tions, etc.,  a  luxury  that  he  could  not  deny  him- 
self ;  who  never  heard  sermons,  preferring  to  go 
where  he  could  talk.  His  business  was  neglected, 
his  home  unprovided  for,  and  his  poor,  broken- 
down,  overworked  wife  had  all  the  care  of  a  large 
family  without    proper   means  of    support.      A 


60  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

lady  who  had  heard  the  husband  at  a  public  gath- 
ering called  upon  the  half-sick  wife  to  tell  her 
how  much  good  her  dear  husband  was  doing,  and 
was  quite  confounded  with  the  truthful  comment 
of  the  wife,  that  her  husband  ahviiys  lived  his 
religion  aivay  f7'oni  home.  Such  professed  Chris- 
tians dishonor  the  truth. 

There  is  a  false  and  a  true  way  of  teaching 
the  application.  There  are  those  —  and  they  are 
not  few,  nor  are  they  confined  to  the  unlettered 
—  who  use  the  Word  of  God  to  illustrate  their 
own  thought.  It  is  astonishing  how  many 
there  are  of  this  class,  who,  with  voice  and 
pen,  put  their  thought  first,  make  their  own 
application  of  their  thought,  and  then  pick  up 
some  text  to  illustrate  it.  Without  assuming 
to  criticise  such  a  method,  —  for  it  is  the  pur- 
pose of  these  pages  to  avoid  direct  criticism, — 
we  cannot  forbear  calling  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  art  of  correct  and  vigorous  thinking 
would  seem  to  demand  that  we  seek  to  appre- 
ciate the  truth  as  God  has  given  it,  irrespective 
of  its  influence  upon  us.  We  need  to  discrimi- 
nate sharply  the  special  significance  of  the  text 
to  know  why  it  was  given  as  it  was.     We  need 


ART  OF  TIIIXKING.  6 1 

to  compare  the  various  important  truths,  group- 
ing them  for  their  combined  power,  and,  knowing 
what  the  truth  is,  apply  it  in  our  lives  and  make 
them  conform  thereto. 

We  may  well  distrust  any  leader  who  uses  the 
Bible  to  indorse  any  philosophy  or  justify  any 
action.  It  is  safe  to  confide  in  him  who  seeks 
to  harmonize  his  thought  and  life  with  the  truth 
of  God. 

The  art  of  correct  thinking,  then,  demands 
that  we  think  vigorously,  keenly,  promptly 
enough  to  sway  the  words  and  acts  of  our 
life  into  harmony  with  God's  Word. 

V.  Reasoning  inductively.  We  form  many 
judgments  without  any  appreciable  process.  If 
we  have  done  the  initial  work  with  sufficient 
care  and  thoroughness,  the  conclusions  will  be 
safe  and  reliable.  The  habit  of  doing  the  early 
work  correctly  will  project  itself  into  the 
reasoning  process  and  make  that  passable. 
Appreciation  of  single  truths ;  discrimination  of 
differences  ;  comparison  of  resemblances ;  esti- 
mate of  consequences,  prompt  us  to  form  right 
judgments  without  any  formality  of  processes. 
We  are  confident  in  our  judgments;  but  if  we 


62  METHODS  AND  PRIXCITLES. 

are  logically  or  sophistically  assailed,  we  have 
no  good  and  sufficient  reason  to  give  for  our 
loyalty  to  our  judgments.  There  is  no  liability 
of  our  judgment  being  wrong,  even  if  we  have 
no  knowledge  of  or  skill  in  logic.  In  prepara- 
tion for  assaults  on  our  own  faith,  at  least,  we 
need  to  be  equipped  with  the  fundamentals  of 
logic. 

Inductive  reasoning  is  the  process  by  which 
we  draw  a  concise  conclusion  from  many  facts, 
observations,  or  experiences.  We  begin  with 
the  effects  and  discover  or  conclude  the  cause. 
A  definition  is  the  result  of  inductive  reasoning. 
We  group  the  characteristics  of  anything  into  a 
definition.  We  append  several  examples  of  this 
.  process. 
^  I.  The  bean  grows,  so  does  the  cabbage  and 

the  cauliflower.  These  are  vegetables.  We 
know  of  no  vegetable  that  does  not  grow.  We 
reach  the  conclusion,  therefore,  by  induction, 
that  all  vegetables  grow. 

2.  The  tansy  grows,  so  does  the  motherwort. 
These  are  herbs,  and  as  we  know  of  no  herbs 
that  do  not  grow,  we  reach  the  conclusion  induc- 
tively that  all  herbs  grow. 


ART  OF  THIXKIXG.  ^l 

3.  The  currant-bush  and  rose-bush  grow, 
they  are  shrubs.  We  proceed  until  we  conclude 
that  all  shrubs  grow. 

4.  We  may  conclude  from  the  apple-tree, 
maple,  oak,  and  pine  that  all  trees  grow. 

5.  Vegetables,  herbs,  shrubs,  and  trees  are 
plants.  These  all  grow.  We  know  of  no 
plants  that  do  not  grow.  We  conclude,  there- 
fore, that  all  plants  grow. 

Whether  we  appreciate  it  or  not,  a  large  part 
of  our  judgments  are  formed  by  this  pro- 
cess. 

The  principle  upon  which  inductive  reasoning 
rests  is  simply  that  what  is  true  of  every 
constituent  part  is  true  of  the  constituted 
whole.  It  is  chiefly  important  that  we  be 
correct  and  careful  in  our  observations  of  the 
particulars :  that  we  consider  the  various  in- 
dividuals from  the  same  standpoint  or  in  regard 
to  the  same  quality  or  phase :  that  we  generalize 
comprehensively  and  with  care  :  that  we  state 
our  conclusions  accurately  and  clearly. 

VI.  Deductive  reasoning.  This  is  the  art  by 
which  we  start  from  a  general  truth,  and  one 
special  truth  that  may  be   connected   with   it, 


64  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

and  deduce  a  third  new  truth.  What  we  have 
just  said  in  introducing  inductive  reasoning  is 
equally  pertinent  here.  Many  form  correct 
judgments,  if  previously  well  trained  in  the 
fundamentals  of  thought,  without  any  appreci- 
ated logical  process,  and  they  are  content  with 
their  positions,  and  with  reason,  so  long  as  they 
are  left  alone.  No  one  is  equipped  for  intelli- 
gent self-defence,  however,  until  he  understands 
the  principles  of  deductive  reasoning. 

It  is  an  art  applied  by  the  sophist  with  so 
much  trickery  that,  even  when  fairly  well 
equipped  for  logical  combat,  it  is  judicious  to  be 
not  over-anxious  to  face  a  foe. 

All  logic  rests  upon  three  principles  so 
simple  that  no  one  questions  their  reliability, 
and  upon  the  universality  of  their  acceptance 
rests  the  authority  of  logic. 

1.  Whatever  is,  is. 

2.  Nothing  can  both  be  and  not  be  at  the 
same  time. 

3.  Everything  must  either  be  or  not  be. 

It  may  not  seem  important  to  give  special 
thought  to  truths  so  simple  as  these,  but  the 
security  of    the   superstructure   depends   upon 


ART  OF  THINKING.  65 

the  foundation,  and  we  can  hardly  be  too  care- 
ful to  understand  all  that  is  involved  in  these 
three  statements,  and  they  should  be  at  our 
command  as  the  multiplication  table  is.  These 
principles  are  stated  in  logic  as  laws :  — 

1.  The  Law  of  Identity,      Whatever  is,  is. 

2.  The  Law  of  Contradiction.     Nothing  can 
both  be  and  not  be  at  the  same  time. 

3.  The   Law   of    Excluded    Middle.      Every- 
thing must  cither  be  or  not  be. 

'  Of  the  first  law  nothing  need  be  said.  Of 
the  second,  we  may  caution  students  to  apply  it 
sharply.  We  are  liable  to  be  wrecked  by  the 
application  of  it  if  we  do  not  take  time  and  give 
thought  sufficient  to  be  sure  that  we  take  in  an 
object  or  thought  in  its  entirety.  It  is  one  of 
the  tricks  of  sophistry  to  show  a  part  of  a  thing, 
prove  that  a  special  thing  is  true  of  it,  and  then 
demand,  on  the  ground  of  the  second  law,  that 
we  conclude  that  to  be  true  of  the  whole.  The 
story  of  the  shield  is  familiar.  Each  seeing  but 
one  side  affirmed  that  what  was  true  of  what  he 
saw  was  true  of  the  whole.  We  can  only  apply 
this  principle  with  confidence  of  that  portion  of 
a  thing  which  we  see  or  know.     If  one  appre- 


66  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

date  single,  simple  truths ;  if  he  have  skill  in 
discriminating,  skill  in  comparing,  skill  in  ap- 
plication, he  is  safer  without  logic  than  logic  is 
without  training  in  the  fundamentals. 

Nowhere  is  this  second  law  more  generally 
abused  than  in  consideration  of  God  and  his 
dealing  with  men.  Not  a  few  good  men,  intel- 
ligent men,  are  afraid  of  logic  because  it  has 
been  and  is  so  cruelly  abused.  This  is  an  argu- 
ment for  knowing  more  of  it  and  not  less.  A 
little  logic  may  be  a  dangerous  thing,  but  not  if 
that  little  is  confined  to  the  fundamentals,  and 
whatever  is  known  is  well  known.  It  is  the 
trick  of  sophists  to  view  some  special  phase 
of  the  Lord's  dealing  with  men,  and  then,  in  the 
name  of  this  second  law,  demand  that  that 
shall  be  accepted  as  the  character  of  God. 
There  is  no  place  where  logic  is  so  unsatisfac- 
tory as  in  application  to  Divine  things,  because 
of  the  improbability  of  our  getting  an  entire 
view  of  the  phase  of  character  or  relations  of 
parties  involved  in  the  consideration.  It  is  not 
needed,  as  already  remarked,  in  forming  personal 
judgments,  so  much  as  in  guarding  against  the 
assaults  of  others.     We  question  the  propriety 


ART  OF  TinxKixG.  6y 

of  taking  the  initiative  in  appealing  to  logic,  but 
believe  that  no  Christian  is  so  safe,  intellectually 
at  least,  without  thorough  fortification  in  the 
principles  of  logic  as  with  them.  The  second 
law  is  the  one  most  liable  to  be  abused  in  the 
consideration  of  Divine  truth. 

The  third  law  seems  more  vague  and  non- 
essential than  the  others,  and  yet  its  importance 
cannot  be  over-estimated.  It  rests  upon  the 
principle  that  everything  rnust  either  be  or  not 
be.  In  other  words,  it  simply  insists  that  every 
proposition  be  so  stated  that  it  can  be  answered 
hy  yes  or  Jio,  and  then  insists  that  it  be  so  an- 
swered. It  states  that  a  thing  is  or  is  not. 
Most  of  the  loose  thought  of  the  world  as 
well  as  loose  morality  grows  out  of  not  in- 
sisting upon  this  requirement.  So  long  as  we 
ignore  it  and  leave  our  propositions  where  they 
can  be  equivocally  answered,  or  accept  such 
answers  to  more  definite  propositions,  there 
is  no  security  to  logic ;  and  if  the  same 
permission  be  granted  in  action,  then  there 
is  no  security  to  character.  The  Scripture 
saith  wisely  when  it  saith  (Matt.  5  :  37),  "  Let 
your   communication  be,  Yea,  yea ;  Nay,  nay : 


68  METHODS  AND  PRINCirLES. 

for  whatsoever  is  more  than  these  cometh  of 
evil." 

This  third  law  demands  that  everything  be  so 
definitely  and  clearly  stated  that  there  shall  be 
no  hesitancy  or  reservation  in  saying  "  Yes  "  or 
"  No  "  to  the  proposition.  It  must  be  easy  to 
accept  or  reject  promptly  the  statement  or  truth 
involved.  It  is  worth  more  than  may  appear 
upon  the  surface  to  know  our  rights  in  this  re- 
gard, and  nowhere  is  it  so  valuable  as  in  Bible 
study  with  those  who  incline  to  put  us  on  the 
defensive. 

After  consideration  of  the  chapter  on  Belief, 
it  will  be  more  readily  seen  that  the  Christian 
who  intelligently  believes  the  truth  of  God,  and 
has  had  it  sealed  by  a  personal  experience,  needs 
never  appeal  to  logic,  but  may  find  it  service- 
able to  understand  it  when  others  use  it  to 
dethrone  faith.  Our  attitude  is  such  that  it  is 
the  part  of  wisdom  to  insist  that,  if  our  antago- 
nists incline  to  argue,  they  shall  be  made  to 
frame  their  own  propositions.  Since  there  is, 
in  the  nature  of  the  case,  almost  no  possibility 
of  winning  a  soul  to  the  truth  by  argument,  we 
have  little  occasion  to  appeal  to  it  for  that 
purpose. 


ART  OF  THIXKIXG.  69 

The  difficulty  at  once  presents  itself  that 
there  are  many  questions  or  propositions  that 
cannot  be  answered  by  Yes  or  No.  Logically, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  this,  for  there  is  no 
proceeding  except  as  we  say  unequivocally  that 
a  thing  is  or  that  it  is  not.  Mathematically 
there  is  a  third  position,  but  not  logically.  In 
mathematics  there  may  be  the  question  of 
quantity  or  degree,  but  not  in  logic. 

We  cannot  say  logically  that  one  thing  is 
harder  or  softer,  warmer  or  colder,  than  another. 
We  may  say  it  is  hard  or  that  it  is  not  hard ; 
that  it  is  soft,  or  that  it  is  not  soft.  If  we  say 
that  it  is  not  hard,  and  that  it  is  not  soft,  we 
give  a  pretty  distinct  idea  of  its  relative  position 
in  the  scale  of  hardness. 

In  logic  it  is  not  equivalent  to  saying  that 
anything  has  the  reverse  if  we  say  that  it  has 
not  a  specific  quality.  We  have  no  right  to 
infer  what  is  true  from  an  announcement  of 
what  is  not  true.  If  I  say  that  truth  is  not 
triangular,  I  do  not  imply  that  it  has  any  other 
geometrical  form. 

The  secret  of  the  necessity  of  employing 
Deductive  Reasonins:  lies  in  the  fact  that  there 


70  METHODS  AXD  PRIXCIPLES. 

is  a  field  untouched  and  unreachable  by  direct 
appreciation  of  truth,  by  the  discrimination  of 
truths,  by  the  comparison  of  truths.  It  applies 
to  truths  that  in  the  nature  of  the  case  cannot 
be  compared  directly,  but  must  be  compared,  if 
at  all,  with  some  third  standard  with  which 
each  can  in  turn  be  compared,  I  want  to  know 
which  of  two  rooms  is  the  larger,  I  cannot 
bring  the  two  together,  but  I  can  compare  the 
dimensions  of  each  with  a  yardstick,  and  with 
that  as  a  third  or  middle  term  I  can  compare 
the  rooms  with  each  other.  This  is  not  the 
manner  in  which  comparisons  are  made  logi- 
cally, and  yet  illustrates  in  a  certain  sense  why 
it  is  essential  and  how  it  may  be  done. 

There  are  three  logical  axioms  that  need  to 
be  given  in  connection  with  the  principles  al- 
ready announced.  In  each  statement  of  the 
logical  process  there  are  two  premises,  the  chief 
and  the  less, — or,  technically,  the  major  and 
the  minor,  —  and  the  conclusion.  The  axioms 
are  these,  — 

I.  Two  terms  agreeing  with  one  and  the 
same  third  term  agree  with  each  other. 

Major.     Fixed  stars  arc  self-luminous. 


ART  OF  THINKING.  7 1 

Minor.     Siriiis  is  a  fixed  star. 

Conclusion.    Therefore  Sirius  is  self-luminous. 

2.  Two  terms,  of  which  one  agrees  and  the 
other  does  not  agree  with  one  and  the  same 
third  term,  do  not  agree  with  each  other. 

MaJo7'.     Planets  are  not  self-luminous. 

Minor.     Venus  is  a  planet. 

Conchision.     Venus  is  not  self-luminous. 

3.  Two  terms,  both  disagreeing  with  one  and 
the  same  third  term,  may  or  may  not  agree  with 
each  other. 

Major.     Planets  are  not  self-luminous. 

Minor.     Sirius  is  not  a  planet. 

Both  these  are  true,  but  no  conclusion  is 
possible.  The  fact  is,  that  Sirius  is  self-lumi- 
nous, but  there  is  nothing  in  these  two  premises 
to  show  that  it  is. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  we  make  no  attempt 
to  teach  logic.  We  have  given  thus  much,  be- 
cause it  has  seemed  to  be  made  necessary  by 
what  went  before.  We  repeat  what  we  have 
more  than  once  said  already,  that  it  is  infinitely 
more  important  to  be  skilful  in  the  first  four 
steps  here  laid  down  than  in  either  Inductive  or 
Deductive  Reasoning. 


72  METHODS  AND  PRIiYCIPLES. 

Under  eight  or  nine  years  of  age  the  child 
merely  appreciates  single,  simple  truths.  From 
eight  to  fifteen  he  acquires  skill  in  discriminat- 
ing and  comparing  things,  thoughts,  truths. 
Prior  to  fifteen  or  sixteen  he  is  merely  collecting 
material  for  thought,  and  is  exercising  his  facul- 
ties for  use  when  he  is  matured.  If  we  feed  his 
mind  from  the  Bible,  if  we  give  it  systematic 
exercise  in  learning,  appreciating,  discriminat- 
ing, comparing  its  truths  and  estimating  the 
consequences,  we  are  morally  certain  that  his 
mature  thought  and  logic  will  be  loyal  to  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  the  Word  of  God. 


ATTENTION. 


"  My  son,  attend  to  my  words."  —  Prov.  4  :  20. 

"Attend  to  know  understanding."  —  Prov.  4  :  i. 

"  Attend  to  the  words  of  my  mouth."  —  Prov.  7  :  24. 

"  Attention  narrows  our  mental  working  into  one  channel." 

— Landon. 

"  Attention  is  the  co-ordinating  and  controlling  force  exerted  by  the 
mind  upon  its  various  powers,  so  as  to  bring  into  strongest  action  this 
or  that  particular  phase  of  its  activity."  — Landon. 

"  Clear  and  vivid  conception  implies  attention.  To  establish  the 
power  of  attention  is  at  first  a  trying  effort  both  for  pupil  and  teacher. 
Without  this,  even  natural  acuteness  will  accomplish  little." 

—  CURRIE. 

"  Attention  is  necessary  to  the  correct  use  of  all  the  faculties.  .  .  . 
It  affects  all  sides  of  the  intellect,  and  is  one  of  the  very  foundations 
upon  which  memory  is  built. "  —  Landon. 


CHAPTER  III. 


ATTENTION. 


HE  object  of  mental  discipline  is  to 
know  where  to  place  the  attention  to 
greatest  profit,  how  to  get  it  there 
quickest,  and  keep  it  there  most  intently.  Intel- 
lect, emotion,  and  will  are  all  at  their  best  when 
the  mind  gives  attention  most  profitably.  None 
need  this  power  more  than  those  who  would 
know  the  truth  of  God  as  it  is  in  his  Word. 

Every  teacher  appreciates  the  difficulty  of 
gaining  and  retaining  the  attention  of  a  class. 
There  is  an  inborn  art  by  which  some  teachers 
hold-  the  eye  and  ear,  the  thought  and  affection 
of  the  pupils.  There  are  laws  by  which  the 
non-magnetic  teacher  is  aided  in  securing,  in 
fair  degree,  what  the  more  favored  teacher 
gains  by  natural  tact.  The  former  would  inten- 
sify power,  while  the  latter  would  conserve 
force  and  make  it  permanent  by  appreciating 
the  philosophy  of  attention. 

75 


76  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

When  anything  unusual  attracts  the  ear  or 
eye,  we  ^ive  heed  to  it  without  an  act  of  the 
will.  Indeed,  it  requires  a  strong  act  of  the  will 
not  to  give  attention.  This  is  styled  involun- 
tary attention.  If  we  continue  our  observation 
after  the  surprise  is  over,  because  we  desire  to 
know  more  about  it,  that  requires  an  act  of  the 
will,  and  is  styled  voluntary  attention. 

A  child's  earliest  attention  is  involuntary, 
while  that  which  comes  from  the  experience  of 
necessity,  or  results  from  instruction,  is  volun- 
tary. It  is  useless  to  ask  attention  of  young 
children.  You  must  not  demand,  but  win  it, 
not  by  artfulness,  but  by  art.  The  first  aim  is 
to  win  involuntary  attention,  and  through  pa- 
tience by  imperceptible  transitions,  train  the 
scholars  to  zvill  continued  attention. 

In  acquiring  the  art  of  attention  we  must 
clearly  classify  the  various  phases  in  which  it 
may  be  exercised. 

No  one  can,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  acquire 
this  art  to  a  high  degree  in  every  line.  Para- 
doxical as  it  may  seem,  the  art  of  attention  is 
non-attention.  The  greater  our  power  of  not 
attending  to  nine  things  may  be  our  power  in 


ATTENTION.  "J  J 

considering  effectively  the  tenth.  One  of  the 
first  steps  in  learning  how  to  attend  is  to  learn 
how  not  to.  The  humming-bird  never  flies 
towards  its  nest,  but,  when  it  proposes  to  go 
there,  it  shoots  up  into  the  air  and  then  drops 
into  it  almost  imperceptibly.  So,  when  the 
mind  proposes  to  attend  to  anything,  it  seems  to 
desert  everything,  and  drops  upon  that  one  line 
of  thought  or  investigation  with  peculiar  ten- 
acity. ' 

Attention  may  be  external  or  internal,  may 
devote  itself  to  that  to  which  the  senses  attach 
it,  or  to  abstract  considerations.  Both  are  im- 
portant acquisitions  of  power,  and  must  be  cul- 
tivated, but  at  different  times  and  by  different 
art. 

Skill  in  attending  through  the  senses  to  what 
transpires  about  us  must  be  acquired  in  early 
life.  There  is  nothing,  perhaps,  in  the  whole 
range  of  mental  training  more  important  than 
accuracy  in  observing  what  passes  about  us. 
Clearness  of  perception  and  conception  depend 
largely  upon  the  art  of  being  attentive  to  objects 
and  events. 

The  first  requisite  is  attention  to  those  things 


yS  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

in  which  we  are  interested  through  the  senses, 
but  we  must  not  stop  there.  Many  are  content 
with  so  much  of  attentive  power  as  this.  Ani- 
mals have  this.  The  beaver  can  build  a  dam, 
adapting  the  strength  of  every  part  to  the  cur- 
rent of  water  at  that  point.  Even  the  lower  ani- 
mals attend  to  whatever  they  are  interested  in 
through  their  senses. 

The  second  step  to  which  the  child  must  be 
advanced  is  that  of  attention  through  the  senses 
to  that  in  which  he  should  be  interested,  regard- 
less of  whether  he  is  or  not.  The  moment  we 
lift  ourselves  to  the  plane  where  we  are  indiffer- 
ent to  the  tendencies  of  the  senses  in  their  likes 
and  dislikes,  and  consider  simply  whether  or  not 
we  need  to  attend  to  any  object  or  event,  we 
have  taken  a  long  stride  intellectually. 

The  eagle  perched  on  a  dead  branch  away 
from  the  refreshment  of  shade,  or  musical  rustle 
of  foliage,  with  his  eye  scanning  every  object  in 
the  horizon,  equally  indifferent  to  all  attractions 
until  he  sees  the  kingfisher  dart  into  the  water 
for  prey,  and  then  gives  his  sole  attention  to 
that  bird  as  he  emerges  with  a  fish  upon  which 
the  eagle  proposes  to  feed,  is  an  example  in  one 


A  TTENTIOX.  79 

direction  of  the  skill  that  should  be  attained  of 
being  indifferent  to  all  sense-attractions  that  are 
not  profitable,  putting  all  energy  into  those  that 
promise  us  good. 

Sir  William  Hamilton  says  the  intensity  of 
attention  is  in  inverse  ratio  to  its  extensity.  It 
is  only  as  we  train  ourselves  what  not  to  notice 
that  our  observation  of  anything  is  valuable. 

The  third  step  is  the  attainment  of  power  to 
attend  to  abstract  thoughts  unaided  by  objects, 
independent  of  senses.  Children  who  always 
add  by  counting  their  fingers  illustrate  a  large 
class  of  people  who  never  find  it  easy  to  do  any 
thinking  without  directly  or  indirectly  leaning 
their  thought  upon  something  tangible. 

Applied  to  Bible  study,  these  steps  mean  :  — 

Learning  texts  because  of  their  rhythm  and 
verbal  fascination. 

Learning  texts  because  we  need  the  truth  they 
contain. 

Grouping  texts  according  to  their  truth  for 
the  sake  of  higher  phases  of  truth  radiated  by 
the  blending  of  many  truths. 

In  proportion  as  we  have  the  power  to  attend, 
do  we  have  control  of  circumstances  instead  of 


8o  METHODS  AND  PKhYClPLES. 

being  controlled  by  them.  Without  this  power 
in  its  external  and  internal  phases  one  is  the 
slave  of  events,  the  servant  of  men  of  stronger 
wills.  Men  influence  us  who  have  no  business 
to  do  it,  simply  because  we  have  neglected  to 
train  ourselves  to  attend  to  our  own  affairs. 

The  humming-bird  sails  up  to  a  delicate  flower 
on  whose  petals  a  tempting  insect  is  feeding,  and 
then  "  hums  "  his  wings  until  he  practically  mes- 
merizes the  little  bug  that  forgets  to  attend  to 
its  own  safety  until  he  furnishes  a  delicate 
morsel  for  the  bird.  Thus  those  who  have 
neglected  the  art  of  attention,  whose  teachers 
have  neglected  it,  fall  a  prey  to  skeptical,  seduc- 
tive men.  We  benefit  our  pupils  physically, 
morally,  and  religiously,  as  well  as  mentally, 
when  we  impart  the  power  of  giving  intense, 
well-directed  attention. 

In  class  work  we  must  appeal  to  the  eye  and 
ear  by  something  new  and  distinct,  bright  and 
vivid,  rhythmical  and  melodious.  The  familiar 
must  be  set  in  unfamiliar  surroundings,  or  intro- 
duced at  an  unexpected  time.  We  may  find  aid 
also,  if  we  exercise  wise  caution  by  suggesting 
pleasure  or  pain,  creating  fear,  or  exciting  hope. 


A  TTENTIOX.  8 1 

The  teacher  will  be  aided  in  the  accomplishment 
of  this  by  asking  questions  with  animation,  as 
though  the  thought  were  new ;  by  looking  into 
the  eye  of  the  child,  communicating  thought  by 
the  look.  This  art  of  looking  into  the  face  of  a 
child  benignantly  is  attainable  by  most  teachers, 
and  has  a  magnetic  influence  in  winning  invol- 
untary .attention. 

The  questions  asked  and  the  thought  im- 
parted need  to  be  vivid  and  suggestive.  Illus- 
trations should  be  bright,  attractive,  and  familiar. 
The  language  should  have  the  characteristics  of 
everyday  life ;  the  voice  should  be  mellow,  ani- 
mated, and  winning. 

That  which  requires  especial  caution  in  its 
use  is  the  suggestion  of  pleasure  or  pain,  fear 
or  hope,  raising  expectation  of  reward  for  obe- 
dience, or  punishment  for  disobedience.  Much 
harm  may  be  done  by  injudicious  appeals 
through  these  channels. 

There  is  attention  that  is  fruitless  of  good. 
That  which  is  desired  is  attention  to  the  teacher 
for  the  sake  of  the  lesson,  in  order  to  attract  to 
the  truth,  and  to  God  as  the  source  of  all  truth. 
The  teacher  is  to  use  devices,  is  to  let  himself 


S2  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

down  to  the  scholars,  only  that  he  may  gain 
their  attention,  and  fix  it  upon  the  lesson.  They 
will  seize  upon  and  appropriate  any  truth  that 
is  made  sufficiently  simple  and  interesting. 

If  the  class  masters  the  teacher  and  holds 
him  down  to  their  level,  the  lesson  is  a  failure. 
He  must  have  the  nerve  and  elasticity  to  lift 
them  above  their  level,  above  himself  even,  to 
the  great  truths  of  the  lesson. 

The  teacher  must  take  the  involuntary  atten- 
tion when  won,  and  through  it  impart  that  desire 
for  knowledge  which  shall  make  the  pupil  will 
attention.  Ultimate  success  lies  in  teaching  to 
desire  to  know  the  truth  and  impart  such  a 
habit  of  zvilling  it  that  they  attend  without 
effort,  giving  voluntary  attention  involuntarily 
or  unconsciously.  So  long  as  an  effort  is  re- 
quired to  give  attention,  the  attention  itself 
cannot  be  most  effective. 

The  adaptation  of  this  phase  of  the  teacher's 
work  to  the  age  of  the  pupils  is  of  vital  impor- 
tance. No  one,  perhaps,  ever  tried  harder  to 
win  the  attention  and  love  of  children  than 
Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge,  who  would  watch  for 
the  children   soing:  from    school   to   tell    them 


ATTENTION.  83 

Stories,  but  he  repulsed  them  all,  and  they 
styled  him  "Old  Coley,"  shunning  him  in  every 
way  they  could.  He  simply  shot  over  their 
heads.  He  could  not  adapt  himself  to  them, 
and  there  was  a  reason  for  this.  He  was  one 
of  the  men  of  whom  we  have  too  many  now, 
whose  thought  is  on  the  correctness  and  finish 
of  what  they  say,  rather  than  on  the  capabilities 
and  necessities  of  those  whom  they  address. 
Charles  Lamb  told  a  good  story  of  Coleridge, 
which,  even  if  we  do  not  demand  that  it  be 
literally  true,  illustrates  this  characteristic  of 
Coleridge.  He  met  Lamb  one  day,  and,  seizing 
him  by  the  button,  began  pouring  forth  a  stream 
of  philosophy  in  which  Lamb  had  no  conceiv- 
able interest.  So  he  slyly  took  out  his  knife, 
cut  the  button  off,  and  spirited  himself  away, 
all  unknown  to  Coleridge,  who  held  the  but- 
ton and  talked  on,  and  Lamb  returned  long 
afterward  to  find  him  still  pouring  forth  his 
stream  of  philosophy.  Extravagant  as  it  is,  it 
illustrates  a  tendency  of  many  who  fail  to  gain 
and  retain  attention  from  lack  of  adaptability  to 
their  hearers,  especially  to  the  age  of  those 
tausfht. 


84  METHODS  AND  FRINCIFLES. 

The  adaptation  of  this  phase  of  the  teacher's 
work  to  the  age  of  the  pupils  is  of  vital  impor- 
tance. Until  the  child  has  the  maturity  of  the 
average  child  of  seven  or  eight  years,  little  or 
no  effort  should  be  made  to  win  attention  to 
abstract  truths.  In  secular  schools  we  say  they 
should  be  taught  objectively  till  then.  In  the 
Sunday-school  they  should  have  those  texts 
whose  meaning  is  clear  and  attractive,  whose 
language  is  rhythmical,  and  whose  application 
appears  without  much  explanation  or  effort  of 
thought.  Melody  of  sound  and  attractiveness 
of  truth  must  be  to  the  Sunday-school  what  the 
object  lesson  is  to  the  day-school. 

From  eight  to  fifteen  there  is  to  be  gradual 
divorce  from  the  application  of  art  in  winning 
attention  through  the  senses.  The  teaching 
must  shade  off  from  sense  appeals  as  fast  as  the 
mind  is  prepared  for  it.  At  fifteen,  ordinarily, 
dependence  upon  sense  interest  in  giving  atten- 
tion to  a  subject  should  cease.  If  the  pupil  has 
been  well  trained,  he  will  be  independent  of  all 
arts  to  hold  the  attention,  having  acquired  the 
power  to  keep  the  mind  to  its  work. 

Through  the  telescope  we  see  stars  by  day  as 


ATTEXTIOX.  85 

well  as  by  night.  It  is  only  the  unaided  eye  that 
has  its  attention  so  diverted  by  the  brilliantly 
diffused  sunlight  as  to  lose  sight  of  the  beauties 
of  the  heavens.  There  is  no  subject  upon 
which  it  is  so  hard  to  fix  the  attention  under 
ordinary  training  as  upon  the  truth  of  God. 
"The  cares  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  riches,  and  the  lusts  of  other  things 
entering  in,"  divert  the  attention,  so  that  it  is 
difificult  oft-times  for  untrained  minds  to  follow 
the  prayer  of  another,  the  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
ture, or  even  a  sermon. 

The  mind  must  be  educated  to  command  the 
thought  through  the  will,  as  the  telescope  com- 
mands the  eye,  through  its  medium,  to  look  at 
stars  in  broad  day.  Until  the  teacher  has 
assisted  the  pupils  to  the  attainment  of  this 
power,  the  work  committed  to  him  is  not 
done. 

When  this  skill  is  acquired,  the  scholar  may. 
with  comparative  ease,  be  trained  to  such  habits 
of  voluntary  attention  that  he  shall  think  along 
the  line  of  his  work  involuntarily,  and,  so  far 
as  any  effort  of  the  will  is  concerned,  un- 
consciously.   There  is  a  waste  of  mental  energy 


86  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

SO  long  as  will  power  is  required  to  attend  to 
any  labor  or  truth ;  and  it  is  equivalent  to 
the  creation  of  mental  force  to  liberate  the 
stimulus  used  in  keeping  the  attention  to  any 
effort. 

All  praise  to  the  leaders  of  the  Primary  De- 
partments who  have  introduced  song,  black- 
board, chart,  picture,  and  concert  exercises. 
But  let  it  never  be  lost  sight  of  that  all  the  pur- 
pose these  serve  is  to  win  the  attention  of 
young  children  whose  minds  have  not  developed 
the  power  of  will  indispensable  to  voluntary 
attention.  These  devices  are  not  for  show,  but 
for  a  purpose.  When  used  as  an  entertain- 
ment, when  the  child  is  permitted  to  depend 
upon  them,  when  they  take  the  place  of  memo- 
rizing Scriptures,  these  things  become  a  hin- 
drance. Their  one  work  is  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion until  the  teacher  can  secure  their  continued 
thought  without  such  aids. 

We  must  recognize,  also,  the  mental  transfor- 
mation which  culminates  from  fifteen  to  eigh- 
teen. The  child  must  be  brought  into  a  state 
of  independence  of  all  arts  in  holding  the 
thought  to  its  work.     He    must    thereafter    be 


ATTENTION.  8/ 

taught  to  give  attention  to  his  work  on  princi- 
ple, forming  habits  of  attention  from  interest 
and  purpose  without  any  effort  of  the  will. 

There  is  another  practical  use  to  which  the 
art  or  possibilities  of  attention  should  be  put, 
viz.,  to  sight-reading  of  the  Bible.  It  is  a  hu- 
miliating fact  that  no  book  is  read  with  so  little 
heed  as  the  Word  of  God.  There  are  times 
with  most  people  when,  if,  after  reading  a  chap- 
ter in  this  sacred  volume,  they  should  be  asked 
to  tell  of  what  they  have  been  reading,  they 
could  give  but  the  merest  outline,  if  even  that. 
There  is  no  excuse  for  this,  since  no  book  is  so 
easily  read  attentively  as  the  Bible.  The  only 
difficulty  is  that  no  attempt  has  been  made  to 
provide  for  this. 

Marvellous  results  have  been  attained  by  those 
who  have  sought  to  develop  skill  in  seeing  the 
greatest  number  of  things  at  sight  in  a  given 
window.  Almost  anyone  can,  in  a  short  time, 
acquire  the  ability  to  attend  so  keenly  that  he 
can  pass  a  store-window  at  ordinary  speed  and 
see  more  than  a  score  of  things  at  sight,  and 
remember  them.  We  can  attain  the  skill  to  pass 
through  a  library  and  at  sight  observe  and  re- 


88  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

member  as  many  volumes,  telling  the  name, 
author,   and   color  of    each  book. 

A  little  judicious  training  in  Scripture  sight- 
reading  will  give  power  to  read  an}'  chapter  rea- 
sonably simple  and  interesting,  and  give  all  the 
details  of  its  teaching.  Select  at  first  only  a 
few  verses ;  those  that  are  clear  and  fascinating. 
The  historic  incidents  in  the  Old  Testament  are 
good.  Spend  five  minutes  at  the  opening  of 
each  session  in  having  the' scholars  read  some 
short  selection  to  themselves ;  then,  closing  the 
Bible,  ask  one  or  more  to  recite  all  that  is  re- 
membered. 

Such  an  exercise  takes  the  thought  from  all 
other  outside  things :  fixes  it  on  the  Bible ; 
quickens  their  thought ;  awakens  the  attention. 
You  will  gain  more  time  than  the  exercise  has 
taken.  An  occasional  exercise  of  this  kind,  at 
least,  would  be  profitable. 


THE   ART   OF    REME^^IBERING. 


"  Memory,  the  warder  of  the  brain."  —  Shakespeare. 
"  Hail,  memory,  hail !  in  thy  exhaustless  mine 
From  age  to  age  unnumbered  treasures  shine  !  " 

—  Rogers. 
"  Recollection  is  the  only  paradise  from  which  we  cannot  be  turned 

out."  —  RiCHTER. 

"  Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth." 

—  ECCL.  12  :  I. 

"  Memory  is  the  treasure-house  of  the  mind."—  Fuller. 

"  Persons  who  possess  the  power  of  keeping  a  large  number  of  con- 
sciously-stored ideas  just  ready  for  use,  and  who  can  at  once  bring 
them  forward  when  wanted,  are  said  to  be  possessed  of  a  good  mem- 
ory."—  Landon. 

"  If  I  do  not  remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my 
mouth." —  Ps.  137  :  6. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE    ART    OF    REMEMBERING. 

I  HE  Bible  needs  to  be  so  taught  that 
its  truths,  the  words  in  which  they  are 
clothed,  the  circumstances  attending 
their  utterance,  and  their  application  to  man's 
need,  shall  be  retained  by  the  mind.  In  Bible 
teaching,  little  or  no  appeal  can  be  made  to  the 
senses ;  hence  the  necessity  of  some  method 
which  shall  give  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  Word 
of  God,  ability  to  retain  it,  and  facility  in  recall- 
ing it  so  that  it  may  be  available  when  needed. 
A  truth  to  be  remembered  needs  to  be  defi- 
nitely, accurately,  firmly  fixed  in  the  mind,  with 
closely-affiliated  associations,  such  that,  when  any 
one  of  these  facts  or  incidents  is  remembered,  it 
shall  inevitably  recall  the  truth  itself.  We  do 
not  remember  that  which  is  indefinite  when  we 
learn  it,  because  it  is  blurred  like  the  photo- 
graph of  a  child  that  moves  before  the  camera. 

91 


92  METHODS  AND  PKIA'CIPLES. 

When  texts  become  familiar,  while  the  truth 
they  teach  is  indefinite,  they  will  not  be  recalled 
when  needed.  Accuracy  is  equally  important, 
since  much  of  the  looseness  in  theologic  thought, 
much  of  the  tendency  to  question  the  reliability 
of  Scripture,  results  from  lack  of  accurate  knowl- 
edge of  the  phraseology  of  texts,  of  the  exact 
meaning  and  special  significance  of  words. 

A  fact  or  truth  must  be  firmly  fixed.  Time 
must  be  taken,  or  special  skill  exercised,  to  assim- 
ilate or  weave  it  into  the  mind,  or  it  will  never 
reappear.  Many  things  that  we  think  we  learn 
soon  fade,  like  the  proof  of  the  photographer 
upon  exposure  to  the  sun. 

Memory,  like  a  panorama,  passes  events  in 
review,  grouping  them  into  families  or  land- 
scapes, refusing  to  give  place  to  any  dissociated 
fact,  homeless  waif  of  thought,  or  uncompanion- 
able idea.  Our  knowledge  of  Biblical  truth, 
therefore,  needs  to  be  afifiliated  as  closely  as 
possible  with  everything  of  interest  that  w'ill 
fraternize  with  it. 

The  attitude  of  the  mind  toward  truth  when 
it  is  learned  determines  largely  the  power  of 
retaining:  the  thoujrht  then  matured.     Our  in- 


THE  ART  OF  REMEMBERIXC.  93 

terest  in  a  truth,  other  things  being  equal, 
measures  its  grip  upon  our  mind,  because  we 
see  most  readily  and  vividly  that  which  we  like 
best,  and  it  abides  with  us  a  proportionately 
long  time.  Those  matter-of-fact  critics  who 
think  it  all  sentiment  when  we  emphasize  the 
necessity  of  pupils  loving  the  teacher,  the 
school,  and  the  lesson,  must  be  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that  no  philosophy  is  better  established 
than  that  love  for  a  truth  learned,  and  for  all 
the  associations  in  which  it  is  learned,  is  essen- 
tial to  its  secure  attachment  to  the  mind. 
Hence  arises  the  responsibility  of  parents  and 
others  in  weaving  about  the  child  a  network  of 
pleasant  associations  in  connection  with  what- 
ever pertains  to  the  church  and  Sunday-school, 
their  officers  and  members.  Every  criticism  is 
an  attack  upon  the  child's  interest  in,  or  love  for 
the  truth  of  God,  and  by  interposing  an  un- 
pleasant association  is  liable  to  rob  the  child 
of  truth  in  which  his  eternal  interests  are  in- 
volved. 

Forgetfulness  is  such  a  recognized  bane  in 
human  experience  that  the  teacher  is  inexcus- 
able if  he  does  not  use  every  means  at  his  com- 


94  METHODS  AiVD  FRLVCIPLES. 

mand  to  enlighten  his  pupils  in  the  art  of  not 
forgetting  what  has  been  once  known. 

Bible  truth  is  liable  to  be  so  disconnected 
with  other  knowledge  and  daily  life  as  to  be- 
come a  companion  piece  to  "  Sunday  religion," 
and  never  be  recalled  except  at  church  or  prayer 
meeting.  It  requires  wise  and  patient  teaching 
to  so  establish  truth  that  it  shall  be  remembered 
at  all  times  when  it  can  be  of  service. 

Recalling  past  knowledge  is  a  phase  of  the 
art  of  remembering  that  needs  to  receive  spe- 
cial attention.  It  is  sometimes  an  involuntary, 
sometimes  a  voluntary,  mental  act.  Whenever 
the  mind  is  not  employed  in  active  effort,  it 
usually  entertains  itself  with  a  panorama  of 
what  it  has  previously  known.  Such  is  the  na- 
tive elasticity  of  the  mind,  and  so  great  is  its 
enjoyment  of  its  own  treasures,  that  it  recounts 
its  wealth  of  memories.  Its  resources  are  so 
inlinked  with  each  other  down  to  the  active  pres- 
ent that,  when  at  our  best,  we  can  scarcely  see, 
hear,  or  learn  anything  without  involuntarily 
recalling  a  chain  of  instances  in  our  past  ex- 
periences. 

For  illustration,  I  meet  a  lady  in  the  horse- 


THE  ART  OF  REMEMBERING.  95 

cars,  who,  though  a  stranger,  has  a  hand-satchel 
that  reminds  me  of  the  only  other  one  I  ever 
saw  like  it,  that  was  carried  by  another  stranger 
on  a  Western  train  ten  years  ago.  That  recalls 
the  excursion  I  was  then  taking,  and  I  run  over 
a  series  of  incidents  until  I  am  once  more  in  San 
Francisco.  I  recall  attending  church,  recall  the 
text,  the  peculiar  way  it  was  handled,  the  good 
impression  it  made.  This  leads  me  to  recall 
the  preacher,  and  I  pass  in  review  the  various 
ways  in  which  I  have  known  of  him,  and  it  occurs 
to  me  that  I  heard  that  he  desires  a  change  of 
pastorate,  and  I  interest  myself  in  him,  and  he 
secures  such  a  field  as  he  desires. 

The  entire  line  of  recollection  was  involun- 
tary. One  incident  followed  another  because, 
when  it  occurred,  it  was  linked  to  the  one  next 
to  it.  We  may  voluntarily  recall  an  event  by  the 
same  process ;  in  which  case,  knowing  what 
we  wish  to  recall,  we  bring  to  mind  everything 
in  our  past  experience  that  would  be  liable  to 
be  associated  with  the  person,  place,  name,  etc., 
we  aim  to  recall.  With  skill  and  patience  we 
may  voluntarily  recall  almost  anything  we  have 
ever  known. 


96  METHODS  AND  FRIXCIPLES. 

The  science  of  not  forgetting  anything  is  to 
associate  it  with  things  most  Hkely  to  suggest 
it  in  time  of  need.  Whoever  trains  himself  to 
dovetail  his  knowledge  into  the  activities  of  life 
is  almost  certain  to  have  it  recall  itself  when 
needed  ;  and  if  it  does  not,  it  reduces  to  the 
minimum  the  labor  of  recalling  it  by  the  exer- 
cise of  the  will. 

The  success  of  Sunday-school  teaching  lies 
largely  in  having  every  truth  so  related  to 
human  need,  to  other  truth,  and  to  the  Author 
of  all  Truth,  that  whenever  any  experience  needs 
a  Divine  truth,  it  involuntarily  recalls  it  through 
the  law  of  association,  or  makes  it  an  easy 
matter  to  recall  it  voluntarily.  The  way  truth 
is  learned  determines  the  tenacity  with  which  it 
is  remembered  and  the  facility  with  which  it  is 
recalled. 

While  it  is  possible  for  a  truth  to  be  so  vividly 
impressed  at  first  as  to  be  permanently  retained 
and  readily  available,  it  is  so  rare  an  experience 
as  to  be  considered  an  improbable  occurrence. 
A  single  impression  seldom  suffices  for  perma- 
nency. It  is,  as  a  rule,  only  a  question  of  time 
for  the  erasure  of  the  impression  of  a  truth  con- 


THE  ART  OF  REMEMBERLYG.  97 

sidered  but  once.  If,  after  it  has  been  thus 
obliterated,  it  be  reconsidered,  it  is,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  the  meeting  of  a  new 
truth.  The  keener  the  attention  when  a  truth 
is  learned,  the  less  need  of  repetition.  It  is  a 
time-saving  process,  therefore,  to  acquire  such 
skill  in  attention  as  to  reduce  the  waste  of 
time  in  reconsideration  to  the  minimum. 

Into  everything  that  is  well  learned  we  spin 
a  part  of  our  best  self,  our  thought.  Our 
knowledge,  when  it  is  acquired  with  interest,  is 
like  the  web  of  the  spider,  who  puts  himself 
into  it,  and  still  retains  such  a  sensitive 
connection  with  it  that  to  touch  any  thread 
touches  the  insect  himself.  Our  knowledge 
should  be  such  that  to  touch  it  at  any  point  is 
to  make  everything  connected  with  it  alive  in 
memory. 

Every  truth  needs  to  be  reviewed  and  its 
expression  repeated  so  frequently  as  to  make  it 
practically  inerasable.  Each  truth  should  be 
reconsidered  until  its  echo  becomes  perpetual 
in  the  mind.  Frequent  repetition  of  a  truth  is 
a  substitute  for  strenuous  mental  effort  in 
attention.     There   is    no   virtue    in    repetition 


98  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

except  as  it  gets  a  firmer  grip  of  thought  each 
time. 

The  melody  of  Bible  language  cannot  be 
over-estimated  as  an  aid  in  remembering  and 
recalling  the  truth  which  the  texts  enshrine. 
Words  symbolize  ideas,  and  well  chosen  words 
convey  ideas  that  become  loyal  residents  of  the 
mind.  The  teacher,  therefore,  who  holds  the 
text  before  his  scholars  in  such  a  way  that  its 
truth  is  radiated  by  its  words,  does  for  the  class 
an  effective  service. 

We  have  already  shown  how  by  a  voluntary 
mental  act  we  can  recall  a  thing  once  well 
known,  by  training  the  mind  to  proceed  method- 
ically in  its  search  for  that  which  has  for  the 
moment  escaped  us,  bringing  to  mind  systemat- 
ically the  places,  times,  and  circumstances  with 
which  it  may  possibly  have  been  associated. 
Thus  we  may  aid  ourselves  in  recalling  a  truth 
by  locating  it  in  its  Bible  home,  associating  it 
with  the  book  and  the  writer.  He  who  knows 
the  residence  of  a  text,  so  to  speak,  who  is 
familiar  with  the  externals  of  each  book  in  the 
Bible,  who  can  readily  analyze  each  book, 
knows  how  to  proceed  with  his  search  for  a 


THE  ART  OF  REMEMBERIXG.  99 

given  text,  knows  the  limited  number  of  places 
where  such  a  text  can  be  found,  knows  who 
would  be  liable  to  write  it,  in  what  connection 
he  would  be  hkely  to  write  it,  etc.  He  who 
accustoms  himself  to  recall  truth  thus  systemat- 
ically soon  has  a  surprising  command  of  the 
Bible. 

The  teacher  should  make  a  special  effort  to 
train  the  pupil  thus  to  familiarize  himself  with 
.every  section  of  the  Bible,  so  that  he  can  with 
ease  trace  every  truth  home. 

The  art  of  remembering  words  must  not  be 
regarded  as  the  highest  art.  Many  have  the 
power  of  verbal  memory  who  have  no  great 
mental  ability.  Indeed,  it  may  almost  be  said 
to  be  a  dangerous  art  to  develop,  if  it  go  no  far- 
ther. It  is  one  of  the  early  phases  of  memory, 
and  is  to  be  employed  to  great  advantage  be- 
tween the  ages  of  seven  and  twelve  or  fifteen. 
Soon  after  the  child  begins  to  memorize  words 
he  should  be  trained  to  remember  truth  inde- 
pendently of  the  words  in  which  it  is  expressed. 

Here  the  Bible  excels  all  other  books  in  adapta- 
bility to  the  development  of  the  human  mind. 
It  not  only  has  an  indefinite  array  of  clear,  sim- 


100  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

pie,  beautiful  texts  that  can  be  memorized  and 
utilized,  regardless  of  their  surroundings,  sen- 
tences that  have  not  their  equal  in  any  other 
book,  but  it  has  a  beautiful  array  of  incidents, 
the  language  of  which  one  could  scarcely  remem- 
ber if  he  would,  but  the  thought  of  which  is  re- 
tained with  great  ease, — such  as  the  parables, 
miracles,  and  historical  incidents. 

There  is  as  definite  and  clear  a  demand  for 
teaching  to  memorize  incidents  divorced  from 
the  expression,  as  there  is  for  memorizing  words, 
and,  in  a  sense,  a  greater  demand  for  it, 

A  fish  takes  air  through  its  gills  so  long  as  the 
water  keeps  the  gills  open,  but  no  longer;  so 
some  people  remember  a  truth  so  long  as  the 
words  in  which  it  floats  keep  the  mind  limbered 
up,  but  never  think  of  it,  pant  for  it  in  vain  until 
they  can  get  the  first  word  of  the  text,  and  then 
it  all  comes  back  to  them.  Important  as  is  the 
remembrance  of  words  in  their  place,  it  is  as 
important  to  remember  truth  without  attempt- 
ing to  fix  the  words.  If  we  cannot  do  that,  we 
are  mentally  weak  and  should  strengthen  that 
faculty. 

The  next  higher  grade  of  this  art  is  power  to 


THE  ART  OF  REMEMBEKIXG.  lOI 

remember  truth  that  is  not  clothed  in  incident 
or  story.  In  Job  we  find  great  truths  grandly- 
stated,  but  the  truth  is  powerful  aside  from  the 
language,  and  is  best  remembered  without  it. 
Many  truths  in  the  prophecies  are  of  the  same 
order.  The  truth  is  clear  and  grand,  and.  as 
truth,  needs  to  be  remembered. 

Higher  yet  is  the  art  of  remembering  truth 
in  its  relations  to  life  and  other  truth.  That 
touches  God  and  man  at  the  same  time  with  a 
closely  affiliating  power.  For  illustration,  Rom. 
4  :  13  :  "  For  the  promise,  that  he  should  be  the 
heir  of  the  world,  was  not  to  Abraham,  or  to  his 
seed,  through  the  law,  but  through  the  righteous- 
ness of  faith."  There  is  no  occasion  to  remem- 
ber this  text.  Its  language  is  not  calculated  to 
cling  tenaciously  to  the  mind,  and  there  is  no 
incident  to  fix  the  truth.  The  truth  itself  is  for- 
cible, that  Abraham's  faith  in  God's  promises, 
rather  than  his  obedience  to  the  law,  made  him 
heir  to  all  that  his  seed  have  inherited.  The  Epis- 
tles are  full  of  truths  that  need  to  be  lifted  above 
their  language  and  incidents,  and  be  remem- 
bered in  their  dissociated  grandeur  as  the  essence 
of  truth. 


102  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

One  of  the  most  important  elements  in  the 
art  of  remembering  Bible  truths  is  to  discrimi- 
nate what  is  to  be  remembered  and  how  it  is  to 
be  remembered.  To  commit  those  texts  whose 
rhythm  and  truth  are  companionable  is  safe,  be- 
cause all  such  texts  are  serviceable.  There  is 
not  a  text  in  the  entire  Word  of  God,  that  is 
adapted  to  easy  memorizing,  that  is  not  valuable, 
and  there  is  not  a  truth  that  we  need  to  have 
crystallized  in  harmonious  phrase  that  is  not  so 
set  in  some  text.  The  key  to  success  lies  in 
wasting  neither  time  nor  energy,  making  no 
false  move.  There  is  time  to  teach  all  that 
needs  to  be  taught,  provided  it  be  well  done. 

Another  indispensable  element  in  the  art  of 
remembering  is  to  awaken  a  deep,  permanent 
interest  in  Bible  truth.  A  young  lady  has  no 
difficulty  in  remembering  a  stitch  in  fancy  work, 
a  shade  of  ribbon,  or  a  style  of  lace,  who  cannot 
possibly  remember  the  golden  text.  A  house- 
wife will  remember  with  ease  a  recipe  that  a 
gentleman  would  n't  attempt  for  anything,  but 
she  cannot  memorize  the  simplest  text.  A 
lad  will  remember  all  the  details  of  a  game  of 
base  ball  that  would    be  an  impossibility  to  a 


THE  ART  OF  REMEMBERING.  103 

college  professor,  but  he  declares  that  he  cannot 
learn  Scripture.  If  we  can  awaken  an  interest 
in  the  Bible,  if  we  can  by  any  device,  fervency, 
or  tact  make  children  love  the  texts  and  truths 
they  learn,  it  will  supplement  all  methods  with  a 
power  above  and  beyond  them. 


PHILOSOPHY   OF   HABIT. 


"  For  use  almost  can  change  the  stamp  of  nature." 

—  Shakespeare. 
"  Patient  continuance  in  well-doing."  —  Rom.  2  :  7. 
"  Continue  in  prayer."  —  Col.  4  :  2. 

"  Habit  is  an  internal  principle  which  leads  us  to  do  easily,  natu- 
rally, and  with  growing  certainty,  what  we  do  often."  —  Webster. 


CHAPTER  V. 


PHILOSOPHY    OF    HABIT. 


f^fg^^jE  have  accustomed  ourselves  to  api:)ly 
ikvAM  the  term  "  habit "  only  to  the  vicious 
^^'^'^  tendencies  of  mind  and  body.  We  are 
liable  to  forget  that  in  the  true  sense  and  under 
proper  restrictions  it  is  an  important  means  of 
conserving  mental  energy.  Our  faculties  have 
an  inherent  tendency,  when  left  to  themselves, 
to  form  wrong  habits  of  actions,  so  that  people, 
naturally  refined,  are  safe  only  when  they  have 
established  correct  modes  of  activity. 

Medical  science  and  surgical  skill  are  teach- 
ing us  what  may  be  done  in  righting  physical 
deformities,  adjusting  many  bodily  ills  that  were 
supposed  unchangeable.  Mankind  is  indebted, 
beyond  its  power  to  repay,  to  the  thought  and 
experiment  that  have  made  these  physical 
changes  possible. 

The  mind  is   infinitely  more    susceptible  to 

107 


I08  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

modifying  influences,  good  or  bad,  than  the 
body.  While  the  body  is  an  organism  of 
growth,  the  mind  is  largely  one  of  development. 
Mental  deformities  are  rebellions,  to  be  quelled 
or  coerced  by  the  rectifying  activities  of  the 
mind. 

Our  manners,  conduct,  and  behavior  are  the 
resultants  of  physical  and  mental  tendencies 
and  influences,  under  the  direction  of  duty  or 
obligation.  Our  religious  thoughts  and  emo- 
tions are  the  Heavenward  tendencies  of  the 
intellect  and  feelings  under  what  seems  to  be 
Divine  guidance.  We  consider  habit,  then,  as 
physical,  moral,  intellectual,  or  religious. 

In  the  strict  sense,  habit  applies  to  those  acts 
that  are  under  the  control  of  the  will.  Its  aim 
and  tendency  for  good  or  ill  are  to  reduce  the 
will-element  to  the  minimum,  so  that  we  may  do 
right  or  wrong  without  drawing  upon  the  will. 
Habit  establishes  a  disposition  to  do  a  certain 
thing  in  a  given  way  under  specified  conditions, 
without  appreciable  motive  or  effort. 

After  anything  has  been  done  in  one  way  re- 
peatedly, we  come  to  do  it  without  noticeable 
attention,  unactuated  by  any  recognized  desire, 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  HABIT.  IO9 

purpose,  or  resolve.  This  condition  is  attaina- 
ble, physically,  morally,  mentally,  or  religiously, 
through  frequent,  uniform  repetition  of  volun- 
tary operations  until  they  are  performed  as  well 
involuntarily,  and,  so  far  as  any  mental  exhaus- 
tion is  concerned,  unconsciously.  Habit,  there- 
fore, practically  creates  brain  power  and  nerve 
energy,  performing  acts  and  accomplishing 
results  which  naturally  draw  upon  the  mind  and 
will  without  the  exercise  of  any  measurable 
mental  or  nerve  force. 

Ice-cutters  will  take  a  pond  on  which  the  ice 
is  two  feet  thick  and  more,  and  by  grooving  the 
surface  an  inch  or  two  will  crack  it  into  cakes 
with  no  appreciable  effort.  So  our  lives  are 
blocked  out  for  years  by  the  grooves  which 
habit  runs  in  youth. 

We  will  consider  chiefly  the  influence  of  habit 
for  good,  since  the  best  way  to  prevent  or  rec- 
tify a  bad  habit  is  to  establish,  through  direct 
effort  of  the  will,  its  antidote,  good  habit.  The 
power  of  habit,  physically  considered,  may  be 
illustrated  by  the  habit  of  early  rising.  A  man 
has  a  strong  inclination  to  indulge  in  the  luxury 
of  an  extended  morning  nap.      For  conv^enience 


no  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

of  the  family,  from  business  interest,  or  out 
of  self-respect,  he  decides  to  yield  to  that  dis- 
position no  longer.  It  requires  a  great  effort  of 
the  will  at  first ;  after  a  little  time  the  effort  re- 
quired is  lessened,  until,  if  he  never  wavers,  he 
will  put  his  physical  nature  into  a  new  line  of 
action.  The  time  required  depends  upon  the 
age  and  strength  of  the  old  habit  ;  but,  under 
any  circumstances,  the  will  can  adapt  the  sys- 
tem to  the  new  regime.  There  must  be  suffi- 
cient determination,  an  unwavering  constancy 
in  the  exercise  of  the  new  habit. 

This  illustrates  the  true  method  of  dealing 
with  all  physical  habits.  To  break  up  the  habit 
of  intemperance  or  any  kindred  vice,  we  must 
form  a  habit  of  total  abstinence.  There  needs 
to  be  an  all-mastering  decisiveness  in  the 
initiative  act,  as  there  was  in  the  case  of  early 
rising.  The  will  needs  to  give  its  entire  atten- 
tion to  the  decisive  act,  and  then  it  needs  to 
bend  all  its  energies  to  total  abstinence,  regard- 
less of  the  amount  of  will  power  required,  until 
the  physical  system  habituates  itself  to  the  new 
order  of  things. 

In  the  case  of  physical  habits,  where  the  aim 


rillLOSOPHY  OF  HABIT.  I  I  I 

is  to  establish  a  habit  of  utter  disregard  of 
certain  sense-appeals  or  physical  craving,  much 
depends  upon  the  reasons  and  motives  for  form- 
ing the  new  habits.  These  may  be  so  great, 
and  the  good  to  be  attained  may  come  home  to 
the  mind  with  such  vividness,  that  the  habit 
may  be  as  good  as  formed  instantly.  Some  of 
the  almost  miraculous  reforms  of  the  intemper- 
ate under  Mr.  Moody's  leadership  are  psycho- 
logically explained  in  this  way. 

That  the  true  way  to  break  up  a  vicious  habit 
is  to  form  another  good  habit  will  be  apparent 
to  anyone  who  will  consider  the  matter  in  its 
relation  to  the  action  of  the  mind. 

As  we  shall  show  in  the  chapter  on  Emotion, 
it  is  possible  to  cure  even  organic  diseases  of 
some  kind  by  a  change  of  the  thought,  directing 
the  attention  elsewhere,  while  it  is  well-nigh 
impossible  to  get  remedies  to  act,  if  the  patient 
studies  his  own  symptoms. 

Change  of  attention  is  absolutely  essential  for 
the  remedy  of  a  bad  habit.  When  one  says 
continually,  "  I  will  not  do  it.  I  will  not,  will 
not  do  it,"  it  is  simply  a  question  of  time  how 
long  before  he  will  do  it.    Every  time  he  says  he 


112  METHODS  AXD  PRINCIPLES. 

will  not  do  it,  he  rivets  his  attention  upon  it, 
and  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  magnetized  by  the 
fascination  of  it.  If,  on  the  contrary,  he  can  fix 
his  attention  upon  doing  something  else,  he  is 
making  the  permanency  of  his  reform  cer- 
tain. 

When  an  intemperate  man  reforms,  he  stands 
a  hundred  times  as  good  a  chance  of  holding 
firm  to  his  changed  life  if  he  keeps  clear  of  all 
temperance  work  and  goes  into  church  work  as 
a  general  Christian  laborer.  The  true  idea  of 
temperance  reform  is  not  reached,  and  will  not 
be  until  the  church  gathers  individually  the 
men  who  need  to  be  reformed,  and  keeps  them 
active  in  Christian  work  not  associated  with 
thoughts  of  their  past. 

This  necessity  is  illustrated  in  the  home 
where  a  shrewd  mother  —  and  mothers  need  to 
know  the  philosophy  of  psychology  —  cares  for 
her  children. 

A  child  hurts  himself :  one  mother  will  pick 
him  up  and  pet  and  kiss  him,  and  soothe  the 
"bumped"  head,  keeping  the  child's  thought  on 
it  longer  than  he  otherwise  would.  We  have 
seen  children,  after  falling,  look  around  to  see  if 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  HABIT.  I  I  3 

they  can  see  the  mother  ;  if  not,  they  go  on  with 
their  play  without  more  ado ;  but  if  they  can  see 
the  shadow  of  the  mother,  they  rush  to  her  for 
the  luxury  of  tears  and  "  coddling." 

Another  and  wiser  mother  will  not  touch  the 
child  unless  the  injury  be  serious,  will  not 
appear  to  notice  that  any  accident  has  hap- 
pened, but  will,  with  tact,  turn  the  child's 
thought  from  himself  and  from  his  accident. 

The  secret  of  success  in  all  change  of  habit 
from  bad  to  good  is  to  get  the  current  of 
thought  changed. 

Habitual  indifference  to  everything  that  does 
not  contribute  to  our  good  is  a  necessity. 
The  artist  trains  himself  to  habitual  indiffer- 
ference  to  everything  but  the  ideal  in  his  land- 
scape. The  sculptor  works  away  at  a  block  of 
shapeless  marble,  indifferent  to  all  but  the  ideal 
image  seen  only  by  himself. 

The  man  who  would  attain  unto  perfect  man- 
hood must  learn  to  be  habitually  indifferent  to 
the  invitations  that  tempt  to  anger,  to  the  vexa- 
tions that  prompt  to  jealousy,  to  the  social  gos- 
sip that  breeds  envy.  No  character  is  well 
formed  that  is  not  founded  on  habitual  indiffer- 


114  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

ence  to  every  external  influence.  This  must  be 
cultivated  with  the  same  decision  and  persis- 
tency of  purpose  that  any  other  habit  is.  It 
yields  to  the  same  laws. 

Morality  is  conformity  to  the  highest  stand- 
ard of  right  and  virtuous  action,  with  the  best 
intention  founded  on  principle. 

Circumstanced  as  we  are,  it  requires  a  vigor- 
ous exercise  of  the  will,  strong  mental  energy, 
to  be  moral  in  this  sense,  but  such  habits  may 
be  formed  that  we  shall  promptly  and  uniformly 
choose  to  abide  by  the  highest  rules  of  morality 
without  appreciable  effort. 

An  attempt  has  been  made  to  discount 
such  virtue  as  meritless  because  requiring  no 
struggle.  There  are  different  degrees  of  dis- 
position to  virtue  as  to  vice,  but  the  rule  holds 
that  no  one  attains  this  condition  of  appa- 
rently automatic  virtue  until  he  has  had  so 
many  self-conquests  as  to  make  resistance  to 
temptation  so  natural  as  to  be  done  uncon- 
sciously. These  conquests  may  have  been  so 
early  in  life,  this  habit  may  have  been  formed  at 
such  an  early  age,  that  virtue  is  practically  in- 
grained, making  its    possessor   in  the  highest 


PHILOSOniY  OF  HABIT.  I  I  5 

sense  cultured  in  the  art  of  morality.  Such 
virtue  is  of  the  choicest  variety. 

Religion  concerns  the  thoughts,  emotions, 
and  actions  of  man  in  his  relation  to  God.  Man 
may  be  religious  by  so  exercising  the  will  as  to 
place  and  hold  himself  in  an  attitude  toward 
the  triune  Deity,  which  is  at  once  reverent,  obe- 
dient, and  affectionate.  This  religious  attitude 
becomes  permanent  through  an  established 
habit.  It  is  a  mistake  to  content  ourselves  with 
the  first  choice  of  Christ  and  consequent  joy  of 
reliance  on  him.  Our  faith,  hope,  and  love 
must  develop  into  habitual  activity. 

Before  we  allow  ourselves  to  form  religious 
habits  there  should  be  an  intelligent,  affectionate 
choice  of  Christ  as  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  If 
we  do  not  start  right  in  the  religious  life,  if  we 
allow  our  habits  to  form  on  any  other  than  an 
intelligent  principle,  we  shall  find  ourselves  en- 
cumbered with  habits,  to  uproot  which  will 
require  time  and  immense  will-power.  It  will 
threaten  to  break  up  the  very  foundations  of  our 
belief.  It  is  a  dangerous  experiment  to  teach  a 
child  to  fear  and  serve  the  Lord  from  supersti- 
tion rather  than  intelligent  love.    It  is  a  mistake 


Il6  METHODS  AjYD  PRINCIPLES. 

to  teach  anybody  to  view  God  as  content  with 
the  observance  of  any  special  ceremonies,  or  the 
acceptance  of  any  eccentricity  of  belief.  It  is 
inexcusable  in  this  age  of  the  world  to  estimate 
God's  satisfaction  with  our  belief  or  worship  by 
a  certain  delectable,  emotional  state  into  which 
we  may  acquire  the  art  and  habit  of  working 
ourselves. 

Any  one  of  these  errors  is  liable  to  make  a 
man  an  intense  disciple  on  false  lines,  magnify- 
ing stubbornness  into  grace,  fanaticism  into 
courage,  and  erratic,  mischief-making  tendency 
into  a  virtue. 

A  believer  in  Christ,  who  consecrates  his  life 
to  the  Master  without  intelligent,  balanced  in- 
struction in  the  formation  of  correct  habits  of 
belief,  emotion,  and  activity,  is  a  prey  to  a 
variety  of  evil  tendencies. 

If  in  the  formation  of  habits  there  be  such 
infrequency  that  the  effect  of  one  effort  passes 
away  before  a  second  is  made,  no  number  of 
these  distant  performances  will  effect  a  habit. 

Every  single  mental  act  spends  its  energy 
after  a  definite  season  as  certainly  as  any  me- 
chanical or  physical    force.     In  order  to   keep 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  HABIT.  11/ 

the  mind  and  heart  in  such  a  state  of  activity 
that  a  habit  is  formed,  the  early  repetitions  must 
be  frequent. 

Uniformity  is  equally  essential.  An  act  may 
be  performed  nine  times  in  ten ;  but  if  it  be 
varied  or  omitted  the  tenth  time,  it  vitiates  all 
the  others.  In  any  good  habit  the  virtue  lies 
in  constant  uniformity  of  right-doing.  There 
is  the  highest  psychological  philosophy  in  the 
text  that  teaches  that  he  who  offends  in  one 
point  is  guilty  of  all. 

To  be  a  Christian,  and  enjoy  all  the  privileges 
and  rewards  that  it  implies,  is  to  make  intelli- 
gent choice  of  Christ,  to  rely  affectionately  upon 
him,  to  serve  him  with  such  frequency  of  act 
and  uniform  loyalty  of  devotion  as  to  make  our 
Christian  thought,  emotion,  and  choice  a  per- 
manent habit. 


USE   OF  THE   IMAGINATION. 


"  Let  none  of  you  imagine  evil  against  his  brother."  —  Zech.  7  :  10. 

"  Imagination  rules  the  world." —  Napoleon. 

"  Imagination  consists  in  taking  parts  of  our  conceptions  and  com- 
bining them  into  new  forms  and  images  more  select,  more  striking,  more 
delightful,  more  terrible,  etc.,  than  those  of  ordinary  nature." 

—  Webster. 

"  Keep  this  forever  in  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart 
of  thy  people." — i  Chron.  29  :  iS. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

USE    OF    THE    IMAGINATION. 

CHILD  becomes  in  large  measure 
what  his  imagination  inspires  him  to  be. 
A  father  may  be  the  essence  of  truth 
and  righteousness,  the  mother  the  embodiment  of 
devotion  and  affection,  the  teacher  consecrated 
and  faithful,  the  pastor  sincere  and  eloquent, 
and  yet,  by  the  neglect  of  the  child's  imagina- 
tion, leave  others  to  determine  what  manner  of 
man  he  shall  be.  Some  older  playmate,  nurse, 
servant,  hostler,  or  other  companion,  may  steal 
a  few  minutes  now  and  then  to  charge  his  mind 
with  the  wildest  flights  of  imagination  of  the 
sea,  of  frontier  life,  of  licentious  possibilities,  of 
heroic  deeds,  of  cunning  exploit ;  and  that  boy  of 
many  prayers  may  go  from  the  best  home  into 
a  profligate  life.  The  broken-hearted  parents, 
the  disappointed  teacher,  the  discouraged  pastor 
cannot  understand  the  wayward  tendency  of  a 


122  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

child  SO  well  brought  up.  They  do  not  appre- 
ciate the  importance  of  wise  training  of  the  im- 
agination. No  child  is  safe,  humanly  speaking, 
whatever  other  good  influences  surround  him, 
whose  imagination  is  not  directed  by  some 
intelligent,  discriminating,  magnetic.  Christian 
mind. 

The  imagination,  when  properly  developed, 
keeps  from  mischief  on  the  one  hand  and  de- 
velops virtue  and  faith  on  the  other.  In  place 
of  forcing  a  child  to  work,  it  is  possible  to  give 
such  an  imaginative  turn  to  his  duties  that  he 
shall  delight  in  them.  Observe  the  mother  who 
has  tact  with  her  children.  She  wants  the  yard 
cleared  up  by  boys,  and  not  one  of  them  wants 
to  work.  Instead  of  requiring  it  of  them,  and 
spending  her  time  in  enforcing  obedience,  she 
quietly  says,  "  Now  play  the  door-yard  was  the 
Mechanics'  Fair  building,  and  the  exhibition  is 
advertised  to  open  at  three  o'clock.  Do  you 
think  it  is  in  condition  to  receive  Governor  Rob- 
inson and  his  suite  .''  Which  department  will  you 
get  ready,  Joe  .'*  And  you,  Frank  .^"  At  once  the 
yard  is  transformed,  and  they  imagine  them- 
selves in  the  great  building,  and  have  a  grand 


USE   OF  THE  IMAGINATION.  1 23 

time  clearing  up,  and  are  sorry  when  there  is 
not  a  stone  or  stick  left.  She  teaches  them  to 
make  work  light,  and  exercises  the  imagination 
in  healthful  ways. 

Many  scholarly  men  have  been  recreant  in 
their  loyalty  to  God,  aye,  even  to  the  higher 
morality,  because  their  imaginations  have  been 
stimulated  along  merely  scholastic  lines.  As 
society  is  constituted,  the  Sunday-school  teacher 
has  the  privilege  of  fashioning  the  future  of  the 
young  through  the  best  possible  resources  for 
christening  the  imagination. 

Success  depends  upon  determining  the  rela- 
tive natural  strength  or  weakness  of  this  faculty 
in  each  child.  In  most  children  it  is  sufficiently 
marked  in  some  direction.  With  one  it  is 
inventive,  with  another  dramatic,  with  others 
emotional.  There  are  cases  in  which  it  gives  a 
keen  sense  of  beauty,  a  higher  appreciation  of, 
and  insight  into,  truth.  It  is  the  parent's  first 
duty  to  discover  the  natural  bent  of  the  child's 
imaginative  faculty,  and  estimate  its  strength 
for  good  or  ill.  The  teacher  is  not  under  the 
same  obligation  and  has  not  the  same  oppor- 
tunities, but  in  a  general  way  he  can  to  advan- 


124  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

tage  estimate  the  imaginative  possibilities  of 
the  child. 

In  early  life,  and  to  a  great  extent  through 
life,  it  is  an  involuntary  mental  exercise,  and  as 
such  needs  to  be  baited  with  a  sincere,  success- 
ful appeal  to  the  interest,  and,  so  far  as  the 
teacher  knows  the  native  bent  of  the  child's 
mind,  he  can  use  such  knowledge  in  awakening 
an  interest  in  the  higher  processes. 

The  child's  attitude  of  mind  must  be  assumed 
by  the  teacher.  The  imagination  must  be  fed 
upon  that  which  is  already  known.  Although 
it  may  make  startling  transformations  in  mat- 
ters of  size,  shape,  relations,  and  circumstances, 
it  nevertheless  develops  through  assimilation  of 
what  is  known.  The  teacher  is  always  tempted 
to  use  his  own  knowledge,  and  develop  those 
phases  of  the  imagination  which  he  most 
enjoys. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  therefore, 
that  the  teacher  place  himself  in  such  confiden- 
tial, friendly  relations  with  the  children  that  he 
may  hear  them  express  themselves  freely  upon 
subjects  of  their  own  choosing,  in  order  that  he 
may  supplement  his  theory  of  what  they  ought 


USE   OF  THE  IMAGIXATIOX.  1 25 

to  know  by  his  observation  of  what  they  do 
know  and  in  what  they  have  a  lively  interest. 

He  needs  to  know  what  they  imagine  regard- 
ing themselves  and  their  future  ;  their  relations 
to  their  inferiors,  their  equals,  their  superiors ; 
their  relation  to  God,  to  the  authority  of  God's 
law  in  the  Bible,  and  conscience. 

The  imagination  idealizes  that  which  is 
known  into  what  they  wish  might  be.  It  is  to 
be  taught  to  idealize  it  into  what  it  ought  to  be. 
All  knowledge  may  be  transformed  into  an  aid 
or  a  hindrance  in  life.  It  is  the  teacher's  privi- 
lege to  furnish  those  conditions  which  will  give 
it  a  right  bias,  developing  it  into  what  it  should 
be. 

In  accomplishing  this,  several  things  are  es- 
sential,—  (i)  to  appreciate  what  is  already 
known,  having  it  so  clearly  outlined,  so  ready 
for  use,  that  any  fact  known  will  be  at  hand 
without  searching  for  it ;  (2)  to  know  what  is 
attainable  through  its  use,  having  clear  concep- 
tion of  the  possibilities  of  this  faculty ;  (3)  to 
understand  how  to  attain  that  after  which  we 
aspire.  This  requires  close  attention  to  the 
method  and  manner  of  its  use. 


126  METHODS  AND  rRIXCTDLES. 

* 

A  motive  must  be  established  before  there  is 
a  balance-wheel  provided  which  assures  any  de- 
gree of  safety.  No  human  foresight  can  antici- 
pate the  consequences  of  creating  an  interest 
for  the  imagination  without  guarding  and  guid- 
ing it  with  a  well-established  motive. 

Every  idea,  vital  to  the  Christian  life  here 
and  hereafter,  needs  to  be  vividly  pictured. 
Little  incidents  in  play-life,  in  school-life,  in  the 
workshop  and  home,  need  to  be  transformed 
through  the  imagination  into  victories,  accom- 
plishments, and  attainments,  through  Christ. 
It  is  easy,  as  it  is  valuable,  to  train  children  to 
estimate  in  imagination  the  benefit  to  character 
that  comes  with  being  just  to  ourselves,  our 
fellow  men,  and  God. 

In  furnishing  a  motive,  the  teacher  of  the 
Bible  has  the  advantage  of  all  others,  as  he  has 
in  estimating  the  influence  on  character  of 
every  thought  and  act.  The  texts,  parables, 
and  allusions  give  imaginative  views,  or  the 
materials  for  such  views,  of  the  consequences 
of  action. 

Imagination  must  be  allowed  all  the  play  it 
demands,  but  it  must  be  kept  on  the  track  of 


USE   OF  THE  IMAGIXATIOX.  12/ 

Divine  law,  getting  its  exercise  in  onward  move- 
ment rather  than  in  skeptical  speculations  and 
vagaries.  Loyalty  to  the  Scriptures  is  nowhere 
more  important  than  in  imagination. 

People  whose  imaginations  have  not  been 
skilfully  handled,  who  lack  skill  to  break  up  ex- 
periences,  and  truths  into  sections,  and  regroup 
them  on  a  broader  scale,  make  that  class  in  so- 
ciety that  wants  a  belief  to  emphasize  some  one 
element  of  faith  or  worship.  They  want  every- 
thing in  earth  and  Heaven  to  depend  upon  some 
insignificant  thing,  some  materialization  of  a 
theory,  some  tangible  idea.  The  unbalanced, 
uncultured  imagination  provides  erratic  people 
who  recruit  the  delusive  and  vicious  "isms." 
Take  any  new  semi-religious  delusion  with  a 
curative  attachment,  and  it  is  notorious  that 
nearly  every  cranky,  whimsical  device  to  ruin 
the  souls  of  men  by  too  m'uch  or  too  little  reli- 
gion, has  a  healing  art  attached  to  it,  and  it  will 
be  found  that  almost  every  one  whom  it  enlists 
has  been  previously  "  off "  on  some  other  kin- 
dred delusion.  As  a  rule,  it  is  psychologically 
demonstrable  that  their  imagination  lacks  bal- 
ance and  culture.     The  philosophy  of  it  is,  that 


128  METHODS  AXD  PKIXCIPLES. 

those  whose  imaginative  powers  are  accustomed 
to  magnify  one  idea  in  faith  or  practice  are  con- 
stantly contracting  that  faculty,  and  can  only 
be  satisfied  with  an  ever-increasing  fanaticism  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  a  disordered  imagina- 
tion. In  due  time  nothing  that  is  sound  in 
sense  or  reliable  in  philosophy  will  or  can 
gratify  them.  The  teacher  who  trains  pupils 
so  that  they  shall  escape  such  snares  does  them 
and  the  world  a  service. 

A  well-trained  imagination  gives  power  to  es- 
timate correctly  present  acts  in  their  future 
relations  ;  in  other  words,  their  personal,  social, 
and  religious  consequences  for  good  or  evil,  for 
time  and  eternity.  No  other  book  offers  such 
facility  for  developing  the  mind  in  this  regard 
as  the  Bible,  and  the  teacher  can  readily  use  it  in 
such  a  way  as  to  establish  a  habit  of  thought 
by  which  it  can  know  and  experience  truth,  and 
gain  facility  in  developing  such  keen  and  relia- 
ble imaginative  power  that  in  each  event  of  life 
he  instinctively  pictures  the  possible  and  prob- 
able results  of  each  of  two  available  choices. 
Then  it  is  easy  to  establish  right  principles  of 
action. 


THE     EMOTIONS. 


"  Some  feelings  are  to  mortals  given 
With  less  of  earth  in  them  than  heaven." 

—  Scott. 

"  Thinking  is  only  a  dream  of  feeling."  —  Novalis. 
"  To  maintain  a  flow  of  pleasure  is  the  highest  consummation  of 
vital  energy."  —  Bain. 


VII. 

THE     EMOTIONS. 

HERE  are  two  classes  of  feelings  which 
do  not  come  legitimately  under  the  head 
of  emotions.  All  the  susceptibilities 
due  to  the  putting  forth  of  muscular  energy  are 
classed  as  muscular  feelings ;  while  those  due  to 
the  action  of  the  outer  world  upon  us  through 
the  senses  are  styled  sensations. 

^Emotions,  properly  considered,  are  less  defi- 
nite, less  tangible.  They  are  secondary  and 
complicated,  the  diffused  effect  of  a  variety  of 
causes  physical  and  mental. 

The  emotions  act  through  the  nervous  system 
upon  the  various  bodily  organs.  The  face  first 
and  most  naturally  expresses  the  emotions.  It 
does  this  involuntarily,  and  yet  we  may  so  train 
the  countenance,  may  make  the  facial  muscles 
and  nerves  so  pliable  and  responsive,  that  the 
expression  may  be  more  prompt  to  voice,  in  its 
glow,  the  fervor  of  the  emotions. 


132  METHODS  AXD  PKIXC2PLES. 

One  of  the  most  efficient  teachers  of  elo- 
cution makes  it  a  prominent  feature  of  his 
instruction  to  have  the  muscles  and  skin  of  the 
face  made  so  flexible,  so  free  and  responsive, 
that  what  is  read  or  spoken  shall  express  itself 
involuntarily  in  the  countenance.  We  have 
seen  persons  under  such  instruction  who  acquired 
ability  to  make  not  only  the  cheeks  but  the 
forehead  radiant  with  emotion. 

There  is  direct  physical  connection  between 
the  emotions  and  the  digestive  organs.  Many 
of  the  phenomenal  cures  reported  as  the  result 
of  mental  or  "Christian"  science,  are  resultants 
of  skilful  use  of  the  emotions  upon  those  organs. 
People  with  great  personal  magnetism,  either 
natural  or  acquired,  will  stimulate  taith  so  as  to 
get  the  thought  entirely  divorced  from  self, 
from  the  body.  They  will  awaken  hope  which 
quickens  every  emotional  avenue.  They  will 
quicken  this  into  joy,  or  the  exuberance  of 
spirits.  All  this  time  the  thought  is  kept  away 
from  self-.  Then,  when  the  emotional  power  is 
at  its  height,  it  is  suddenly  turned  back  upon 
self  with  such  a  commanding  tone  as  to  make  it 
a    joyful    servant,    is    concentrated    upon    the 


THE  EMOTIONS.  1 33 

stomach  with  the  assurance  that  nothing  is  the 
matter  with  it,  —  that  it  only  needs  food  and 
enough  of  it.  There  are  well-authenticated 
cases  where  people's  digestive  organs,  long 
deranged,  had  reached  a  condition  that  medi- 
cine offered  no  promise  of  relief,  and  this 
summary  treatment  produced  definite  and  con- 
tinued relief. 

The  heart,  the  lungs,  and  the  kidneys  are 
directly  reachable  by  the  emotions. 

It  is  a  discredit  to  the  science  of  medicine, 
philanthropy,  and  Christianity  that  beneficial 
influences  of  the  emotions  should  have  been  so 
far  left  undeveloped  that  those  who  are  no 
credit  to  Christianity,  or  are  direct  opponents 
thereof,  can  avail  themselves  of  its  power  to  our 
disadvantage. 

Those  who  under-estimate  the  importance  of 
emotional  self-control  do  themselves  and  those 
whom  they  influence  a  definite  wrong.  Even 
the  injury  that  comes  to  people  socially  from  ill 
manners,  bred  by  lack  of  emotional  balance,  is 
greater  than  may  be  supposed.  We  all  know 
those  who,  when  asked  a  question,  scratch  their 
heads,  shrug  their  shoulders,  close  their  eyes,  or 


134  METHODS  AXD  PRIXCIPLES. 

do  some  other  unmannerly  thing,  all  from  lack 
of  emotional  self-control. 

We  know  those  who  are  always  beating  time 
with  the  foot,  or  tapping  out  a  tune  with  the 
fingers  on  the  slightest  provocation,  as  though 
so  full  of  music  that  they  cannot  control  it. 
The  fact  is  that  such  persons  have  not  com- 
mand of  their  musicael  motions,  so  to  speak. 

Trained  musicians,  those  who  by  voice  or 
instrument  thrill  the  world  with  cultured  art, 
have  such  control  of  their  musical  emotions  that 
they  husband  all  that  fervor  for  occasions  when 
it  will  be  effective. 

The  entire  physical  system  is  largely  under 
the  sway  of  the  emotions.  All  pleasurable 
emotions  conserve  physical  energy,  tend  to 
restore  health,  and  prolong  life. 

Painful  emotions,  on  the  other  hand  antago- 
nize physical  energy,  tend  to  disease  and  death. 
There  is  no  way  in  which  to  define  either 
pleasure  or  pain.  We  know  the  emotions,  but 
to  state  in  words  that  which  we  know  is,  in  this 
case,  not  easy.  They  are,  in  all  senses,  direct 
opposites.  The  one  is  headed  toward  life,  the 
other  toward  death. 


THE  EMOTIONS.  1 35 

Human  conduct  is  largely  dependent  upon 
the  emotions.  Pleasure  stimulates  us  to  phys- 
ical and  mental  activity.  Pain  tends  to  caution 
and  inactivity.  With  a  large  portion  of  man- 
kind you  can  estimate  their  emotional  nature 
in  quality  and  quantity  by  their  choices  and 
conduct. 

Right  conduct  relies  for  constancy  upon  a 
properly  adjusted  emotional  fervor.  Content- 
ment and  enjoyment  in  life  depend  in  great 
measure  upon  the  development  and  discipline  of 
the  emotions. 

Without  the  stimulus  of  emotion,  man  may  be 
good  in  a  tame  way.  Without  control  of  the 
emotions,  he  is  a  candidate  for  irretrievable  ruin. 
Stimulated  but  unrestrained  emotions  rush 
those  who  began  life  with  the  best  intentions, 
into  drunkenness,  licentiousness,  skepticism, 
or  infidelity. 

Excessive  emotional  natures  need  restraint. 
There  is  an  exuberance  of  feeling  which  leads 
to  an  over-estimate  of  everything  good  or  ill,  to 
too  great  intensity  in  likes  and  dislikes. 

Erratic  emotional  natures  need  to  be  modi- 
fied.    Many   of   the   crooked,    caustic,  notional 


136  METHODS  AiVn  PRINCIPLES. 

beings  who  afflict  home,  church,  and  society, 
are  what  they  are  from  emotional  deformities. 
The  man  with  a  hump-back,  club-feet,  or  any 
other  physical  deformity  is  a  lesser  monstrosity 
than  the  man  or  woman  whose  emotional 
nature  is  deformed  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
him  unreliable  in  friendship,  fickle  in  interest, 
rasping  in  manner. 

Success  in  study  is  largely  dependent  upon 
the  way  in  which  the  lesson,  the  teacher,  and 
the  surroundings  appeal  to  the  emotions. 

It  is  important  to  note  the  tendency  of 
feelings,  observing  the  class  of  influences  that 
most  readily  affect  them,  and  their  effect  upon 
the  thought  and  conduct. 

While  all  natures  need  appropriate  emotional 
development,  those  dull  natures  need  to  be 
specially  stimulated.  In  all  cases,  however, 
excessive  emotional  stimulant  is  to  be  rigidly 
avoided.  Pleasure  results  from  certain  ex- 
citants, and  the  unscientific  instructor  presses 
these  supposed  advantages  beyond  the  proper 
limit,  producing  evil  rather  than  good  results. 
For  instance,  the  teacher  learns  that  he  can 
give  pleasure  to  his   pupils   by    exciting   their 


THE  EMOTIONS.  137 

love  of  rivalry  through  medals  and  prizes.  He 
may  intensify  their  zeal  until  he  makes  them 
emotionally  miserable  through  envy  and  bitter- 
ness of  feeling.  He  will,  if  not  careful,  cause 
them  to  carry  this  so  far  as  to  make  them  lose 
all  love  for  study,  making  them  envious  of  each 
other  and  suspicious  of  his  fairness.  All  this 
may  easily  result  from  excessive  emotional 
stimulant. 

Too  long  continuance  of  any  pleasurable 
emotion  is  unfortunate,  since,  in  the  nature  of  a 
stimulant,  its  merit  consists  in  its  being  fre- 
quently relieved,  so  that  its  good  effects  may  be 
assimilated  and  matured. 

After  each  application  of  a  stimulant  there 
must  be  time  given  for  the  return  of  a  perfectly 
natural  condition,  and  fresh  strength  must  be 
supplied  for  the  stimulant  to  quicken.  So  long 
as  the  excitant  calls  into  activity  superabun- 
dant force  that  else  would  be  unemployed,  all  is 
well ;  but  when  it  rallies  to  action  forces  that 
are  needed  in  other  departments,  or  whose 
time  of  action  has  not  arrived,  it  is  mischiev- 
ous. 

A   tree,   after   a   season's   growth,  sheds   its 


138  METHODS  AXD  PRINCIPLES. 

leafage  because  the  leaf-stems  are  no  longer 
large  enough  for  the  enlarged  branch,  hence 
they  are  laid  aside,  and  the  branch  seasons  into 
its  increased  size,  and  firmly  knits  its  fibre,  and 
puts  forth  a  wholly  new  set  of  leaves  for  a 
re-enlargement.  By  this  process  the  tree 
grows. 

There  is  a  phase  of  medical  science  that 
seeks  to  give,  in  most  diseases,  the  least 
medicine  that  will  stimulate  healthy  action,  and 
then  awaits  the  accomplishment  of  its  effect 
before  re-applying  the  remedy. 

Thus  the  emotional  life,  and  all  faculties  of 
mind  and  heart  dependent  upon  it,  need  to  rest 
after  every  emotional  stimulant,  for  its  work  to 
be  accomplished  and  its  results  established  in 
habitual  activity. 

The  sympathetic  teacher  errs  when  he  ex- 
hausts his  nervous  energies  in  an  attempt  to 
hold  the  attention  and  interest  of  the  pupils  by 
incessant  appeals  to  their  emotional  nature.  If, 
in  place  of  this,  he  would  appeal  to  their 
feelings  for  a  definite  purpose,  then  rest  himself, 
and  study  the  effect  of  that  exertion,  his  effort 
would  go  further,  accomplish  more,  and  he  would 


THE  EMOTIOXS.  1 39 

avoid  exhaustion.  The  aim  should  be  to  so  use 
appeals  to  pleasure  as  to  put  the  entire  system 
in  a  healthy,  elastic  state,  prompting  to  the  best 
activity.  It  wants  to  exert  such  influence  over 
the  other  faculties  that  they  shall  work  in  full 
sympathy  with  the  emotions,  but  not  be  depend- 
ent upon  them. 

Those  who  depend  upon  their  feelings  to 
decide  what  they  shall  do,  when  they  shall  do  it, 
and  how  long  continue,  it,  are  inevitably 
unhappy  and  miserable  most  of  their  time.  No 
business  suits  them,  and,  after  the  new  is  off, 
they  do  everything  in  a  state  of  fretfulness, 
chafing  under  every  requirement,  rasped  by 
their  superiors,  envious  of  their  equals,  jealous 
of  their  inferiors.  They  seek  relief  in  change  of 
occupation,  always  looking  for  something  they 
feel  like  doing.  Each  change  makes  content- 
ment and  pleasure  shorter-lived. 

Thus  the  undisciplined  emotional  nature  is 
responsible  for  much  of  the  shiftlessness  and 
thriftlessness,  intemperance  and  licentious- 
ness, homesickness  and  heartsickness  of  the 
world. 

It  is  the  privilege,  as   well   as    duty   of   the 


140  METHODS  AA'D  FMIA'C/PLES. 

Bible  teacher  to  so  use  the  Scripture  remedies 
with  psychological  wisdom  as  to  give  balance 
and  tone  to  the  feelings  that  they  may  be 
restrained  from  doing  evil  and  be  made  effec- 
tive for  good.  All  this  will  help  to  furnish  a 
better  developed  physical  and  mental  nature 
in  which  to  nurture  the  religious  life. 

Erratic,  unreliable,  professed  followers  of 
Christ,  who  have  at  one  time  been  sincere 
seekers  after  the  assurance  of  forgiveness,  but 
have  never  persisted  in  the  performance  of 
religious  duties,  are  usually  of  that  class  who 
seek  Heaven  on  their  feelings.  Those  who  run 
hither  and  thither  after  every  fanatic,  who 
incline  to  every  peculiar  theory  for  healing 
disease  without  science,  who  advocate  every 
phase  of  philanthropy  and  reform  that  has  no  phil- 
osojohic  basis,  advertise  the  fact  that  they  have 
left  their  emotional  faculties  untrained.  Those 
who  adopt  every  new  "ism"  in  theology,  who 
never  enjoy  their  religion  except  in  a  revival,  are 
of  the  same  unfortunate  class  of  undirected  and 
uncontrolled  emotional  natures. 

The  Word  of  God,  judiciously,  intelligently 
applied,   is  the  essence  of   virtue   in  balancing 


THE  EMOTIOXS.  14 1 

the  emotions  so  as  to  stimulate  every  faculty 
of  mind  and  heart.  At  the  same  time  it  tones 
down  every  excitable,  fickle,  clamorous  emotion 
by  harmonizing  conflicting  hopes  and  fears, 
doubts  and  aspirations.  It  does  this  through 
a  restful  confidence  in  and  reliance  upon  the 
triune  Deity  for  love,  peace,  and  joy.  The 
Bible  and  its  truth  may  be  so  taught  that 
nothing  in  earth  can  permanently  go  amiss  with 
him  who  confides  affectionately  in  God,  It  can 
give  assurance  that  our  Heavenly  Father  holds 
in  his  hands  all  possibilities  of  matter  and 
mind.  It  can  inspire  us  to  seek  and  hope  for 
perfect  emotional  satisfaction  through  the  truth 
of  God  and  its  Author, 


PHILOSOPHY   OF   SYMPATHY. 


"  We  pine  for  kindred  natures 
To  mingle  with  our  own." 

—  Mrs.  Hemans. 
"  A  mystic  bond  of  brotlierhood  makes  all  men  one."  —  Carlyle. 
"  The  secrets  of  life  are  not  shown  except  to  sympathy  and  like- 
ness."—  George  Eliot. 

"  The  craving  for  sympathy  is  the  common   boundary-line  between 
joy  and  sorrow."  —  Hare. 

"  Sympathy  is  especially  a  Christian's  duty."  —  Spurgeon. 
'•  Those  who  would  make  us  feel  must  feel  themselves." 

—  Churchill. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PHILOSOPHY    OF    SYMPATHY. 

SYMPATHY  leads  all  the  beneficent 
emotions  as  a  power  in  the  hands  of  the 
teacher.  There  is  no  sphere  in  life  in 
which  one  may  not  be  more  effective  in  steady- 
ing the  wayward,  in  comforting  the  sorrowful, 
in  winning  souls  to  permanent  love  for  the  Lord 
and  constancy  in  his  service  by  judicious,  fer- 
vent use  of  the  sympathetic  emotions. 

There  is  a  physical  sympathy  which  is  almost 
purely  mechanical  and  involuntary.  Evidence 
of  this  may  be  seen  in  a  public  audience,  where' 
one  has  a  cough  and  all  about  desire  to  cough 
from  sympathy.  Laughter  and  yawning  ex- 
hibit the  same  physical  tendency. 

It  is  not  for  display  merely  that  soldiers  are 
trained  to  keep  step,  but  there  is  physical  gain, 
—  a  certain  added  energy  in  having  a  battalion 
step  in  unison.     A  thousand  men  will  endanger 

145 


146  METHODS  AXD  PRIXCIPLES. 

a  bridge  less  by  walking  out  of  step  than  five 
hundred  will  that  keep  step.  When  any  num- 
ber of  people  unite  in  a  common  physical  move- 
ment, each  puts  a  certain  personality  into  it,  and 
does  it  better  and  with  more  force  than  he 
would  alone.  Harmony  is  the  essence  of  power 
as  well  as  beauty. 

Intellectually  there  is  keener  sympathy  than 
physically.     Those  accustomed  to  address  pub- 
lic   audiences    appreciate    this.      One    or    two 
strong  minds  in  full  sympathy  with  the  speaker 
exert  a  magnetic  influence,  carrying  conviction 
with  their  unvoiced  intellectual  loyalty.     Con- 
trariwise, a  doubter  or  disbeliever  can,  without 
saying  a  word,  create  a  strong  intellectual  oppo- 
sition.    Few  characteristics  of  a  speaker  are  so 
important  as  skill  in  bringing  an  audience  into 
sympathy    with    his    thought.     Speakers   who 
have   a    reputation    for   tact   never  enter  upon 
their   theme    seriously  until    they  have   tested 
their  audience  with  some  experimental  remark 
to  assure  themselves  that  they  have  the  sympa- 
thy of  their  hearers.     By  these  artful  introduc- 
tions speakers  place  their  audiences  in  an  inten- 
sified, sympathetic  condition.     Edward  Everett 


PHILOSOPHY   OF  SYMPATHY.  1 47 

was  careful  to  have  everything  adjusted  before 
he  began  an  oration,  that  he  might  with  great- 
est ease  secure  sympathy.  A  jury,  unless  it 
has  one  or  two  strong  characters  on  it,  has  i:s 
judgment  swayed  very  largely  by  the  sympathy 
of  the  audience.  Skilful  lawyers  advise  their 
clients  to  have  present  as  many  friends  of  strong 
intellectual  power  as  they  can,  for  the  direct 
benefit  of  a  keen,  sympathetic,  intellectual  at- 
mosphere. 

Mozart  was  so  dependent  upon  sympathy  that 
he  could  neither  compose  nor  execute  his  mu- 
sical compositions  unless  conscious  that  he  was 
appreciated,  or  would  be,  by  those  to  whom  he 
was  appealing. 

Emotional  sympathy  is  even  more  important. 
In  the  normal  condition  man  reflects  the  feel- 
ings of  others.  The  frolic  or  pain  of  animals 
sways  our  emotions  when  the  mind  is  inactive. 

When  several  pianos  are  in  an  uncarpeted 
room,  if  a  given  note  be  struck,  that  string  will 
vibrate  perceptibly  in  all  the  other  instruments. 
Metallic  picture-cords  sometimes  vibrate  audibly 
when  they  chance  to  be  attuned  to  a  given  key. 
The  human  heart  is  infinitely  sensitive  to  the 
vibrations  of  others'  joys  and  sorrows. 


148  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

The  will  has  its  laws  of  sympathy  as  well  as 
the  physical,  intellectual,  and  emotional  natures. 
When  we  make  no  special  effort  to  direct  the 
thoughts  and  feelings,  we  reflect  the  decisions 
of  those  about  us  and  act  from  sympathy  with 
them. 

This  analysis  of  the  departments  of  sympathy 
culminating  in  the  influence  it  has  over  our 
choice,  shows  how  important  an  element  it  is 
in  human  society.  It  enters  into  the  feelings  of 
others,  and  acts  upon  them  as  though  they  were 
our  own.  It  is  a  universal  force  and  must  be 
properly  provided  for. 

Not  all  use  this  power  for  the  good  of  their 
fellow  men.  It  is,  relatively,  as  great  a  source 
of  evil  as  of  good.  It  is  the  strongest  social 
force  employed  in  wrecking  virtue  or  debasing 
with  intemperance.  A  young  person  whose 
sympathies  are  not  given  a  virtuous,  ennobling 
tendency  is  a  candidate  for  the  malarial  influ- 
ence of  evil. 

Those  amusements  upon  which  the  church 
looks  suspiciously  have  their  mischievous  ten- 
dency in  this  channel.  Why  does  the  church 
frown  upon  dancing,  such  a  beautiful  exercise, 


piiiLosornY  OF  sympathy.         149 

teaching  grace  of  movement  and  social  eti- 
quette ;  upon  the  theatre,  that  tones  up  elo- 
cution, and  emphasizes,  oft-times,  moral  virtues? 
They,  and  kindred  amusements,  misdirect  the 
sympathies.  They  provide  the  young  with  the 
wrong  conditions.  A  person  of  strong  will,  or 
one  who  is  egotistical  or  selfish,  may  be  safe,  but 
the  great  majority  take  serious  risks. 

If  a  jury  sitting  in  judgment  upon  a  man's 
life,  with  a  discreet  judge  to  preside,  is  liable 
to  be  affected  by  the  sympathetic  atmosphere 
of  the  court-room,  how  much  more  a  bevy  of 
lads  and  lassies,  with  no  wise  monitor.  The 
ball-room  appeals  to  the  physical  sympathies  by 
whirling  the  nerves  and  the  physical  being  into 
a  state  of  unnatural  excitement. 

There  is  no  premium  on  intellectual  activity, 
but  he  who  has  given  most  attention  to  the 
physical  graces  with  the  fervor  and  glow 
acccompanying  them  is  the  most  commanding 
in  his  influence  over  the  sympathies.  The 
conditions  are  ripe,  and  if  there  be  one  person 
who  is  not  virtuous,  whose  mind  runs  in 
unchaste  lines,  whose  emotions  are  wrong,  his 
presence  instinctively  plays  upon  the  sympathies 
of  the  impressible  company. 


150  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

In  the  theatre  the  auditor  is  passive,  recep- 
tive, the  mind  and  the  emotions  are  relaxed. 
The  will  is  free  and  easy.  If,  in  a  congregation 
or  lyceum  audience,  one  person  who  disbelieves 
can  exert  a  perceptible  prejudicial  influence, 
what  can  be  expected  under  the  conditions 
existing  in  the  theatre .'  If  there  be  any 
considerable  number  present  whose  moral  char- 
acter is  suspicious,  whose  thought  is  not 
elevating,  their  influence  upon  others  will  be 
debasing,  would  be  if  the  same  number,  of  the 
same  character,  were  together,  even  in  a 
church.  If  the  scenery  and  costumes  are 
questionably  suggestive,  if  the  character  of  the 
actors  is  questionable,  then  there  is  a  circuit  of 
most  unfortunate  conditions.  Because  a  few 
strong-minded,  self-willed  people  can  take  their 
recreation  this  way,  is  no  reason  others  should 
tempt  their  sympathies.  People  of  unformed 
characters  certainly  have  no  right  to  do 
so.  "  Evil  communications  corrupt  good  man- 
ners." 

The  very  word  "amusement"  is  prejudicial, 
testifying  against  itself.  It  appeals  to  selfish- 
ness.    It  offers  to  amuse  those  who  wish  to  be 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  SYMPA  THY.  I  5  I 

thus  catered  to.  Its  object  is  to  lull  the 
faculties,  prevent  reflection,  banish  memories. 
"Entertainment "  is  better,  because  it  indicates 
a  willingness  to  enter  into  the  activities.  It 
awakens  the  mind,  arouses  the  sensibilities. 
Recreation  seeks  a  mere  temporary  suspension 
of  activities  preparatory  to  better  labor.  It  is  a 
cessation  of  activities  for  a  purpose.  It  keeps 
the  aim  up  to  its  old  standard.  It  consents  to 
relaxation,  but  not  to  diversion. 

In  every  employment,  whether  of  vocation  or 
avocation,  we  need  to  have  the  thought  sharply 
on  the  sympathies,  their  susceptibility,  the 
quality  and  strength  of  the  modifying  influences. 
On  this  ground  the  church  is  a  profitable  place 
for  any  one  to  be.  If  no  word  be  remembered, 
if  no  thought  attach  itself  to  the  mind,  positive 
benefit  may  accrue.  The  sermon,  the  Scrip- 
ture, the  prayer,  and  the  hymns,  one  or  all, 
exert  a  healthful  influence  through  the  sympa- 
thies. The  majority  of  those  present  are  there 
for  good.  They  say  a  mental  "Amen"  to 
every  good  thought.  They  regret  all  lapses  in 
the  past.  They  resolve  to  be  more  correct  and 
fervent   in   the  future.     They  are  hopeful   and 


152  METHODS  AND  PKIXCIPLES. 

inspiring.  Thus  each  finds  himself  in  the  best 
possible  receptive  attitude,  and  all  the  active 
forces  are  of  a  desirable  quality.  There  is  a 
philosophic  argument  for  keeping  the  best 
company,  and  young  people,  especially,  should 
be  made  to  understand  this  philosophy. 

There  is  a  distinction  between  passive  and 
active  sympathy.  The  former  merely  feels  zvith 
another.  It  is  a  contagious  emotion,  absorbing 
his  mental  state,  reflecting  his  condition,  vibrat- 
ing with  his  sensibilities.  Active  sympathy 
feels  for  and  acts  with  another,  anticipating  and 
endeavoring  to  satisfy  his  necessities.  It  enters 
into  hearty  alliance  as  a  clarifying,  rectifying, 
modifying  force. 

There  is  variety  in  sympathy.  Sorrow,  pain, 
aflfliction,  and  adversity  call  forth  a  quality  of 
sympathy  quite  in  contrast  with  that  called 
for  by  pleasure,  prosperity,  and  joy.  Few 
fail  of  a  tender  sensibility  when  their  fellow 
men,  or  even  animals,  suffer.  It  is  exceptional 
that  one  hesitates  to  feel  or  express  sorrow 
even  when  an  enemy  suffers.  But  when  people 
are  successful,  circumstances  change.  The  hu- 
man heart   is  predisposed  to  envy  under  such 


PHIL  OSOPHY  OF  S  YMPA  THY.  I  5  3 

conditions.  John  the  Baptist  reached  a  high 
plane  of  spiritual  self-command  when  he  could 
say  with  apparent  relish,  "  He  must  increase, 
but  I  must  decrease." 

To  rejoice  with  those  who  rejoice  is  a  more 
refined  emotion  than  to  weep  with  those  who 
weep,  and  prepares  for  the  highest  grade  of 
sympathy  with  those  in  need.  It  indicates  a 
more  signal  victory  over  our  rebellious,  jealous, 
envious  natures. 

We  mistake  seriously  when  we  think  of  sym- 
pathy as  merely  interest  in  those  who  are  af- 
flicted, sorrowful,  and  suffering.  Too  many 
thus  confine  their  thought  to  that  phase  of  it 
which  weights  us  with  others'  woes,  which  leads 
the  heart  to  ache  because  other  hearts  ache. 
We  must  remember,  as  we  have  remarked,  that 
it  is  in  some  respects  a  better,  keener  phase 
which  blends  ourselves  with  others  in  their  in- 
terests, whether  they  be  joyful  or  sorrowful. 

The  organ  has  its  couplers  by  which  the  va- 
rious banks  of  keys  and  departments  may  be 
connected.  It  is  the  work  of  a  moment  to  draw 
the  register,  after  which  the  touching  of  a  pedal- 
note  gives  that  note  in  the  great  organ,  and  in 


154  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

the  swell  also.  Sympathy  is  such  a  coupling  in 
human  minds  and  human  interests. 

There  is  a  closeness  of  interest  between 
minds  that  are  in  sympathy  that  merges  them 
in  a  common  power.  When  officers,  teachers, 
and  scholars  have  such  sympathy,  they  will  learn 
more  with  less  friction  than  they  otherwise 
will.  If  you  .will  try  to  sound  a  given  note  un- 
aided, and  will  then  sit  before  an  expert  elocu- 
tionist or  musician,  and  sound  it  with  him,  you 
will  find  that  his  voice  rounds  out  and  fills  out 
yours ;  you  can  sound  the  note  much  easier, 
and  it  will  be  richer  and  more  resonant.  It  is, 
as  it  were,  an  alliance  of  voices,  which,  without 
effort,  melodizes  both.  Thus,  people  who  are 
mutually  sympathetic  round  out  each  other's 
experiences  and  characters. 

The  instinctive,  momentary,  sympathetic  feel- 
ing for  one  in  sorrow  or  joy  has  little  virtue  in 
it.  It  signifies  nothing  of  moral  value  unless  it 
abides  wdth  us.  It  must  represent  our  pain  or 
pleasure.  It  must  affect  and  direct  our  will  as 
well  as  our  emotion.  The  measure  of  virtue 
in  our  sympathy  is  our  activity  in  relieving  pain 
or  augmenting  pleasure.  We  test  sympathy 
through  the  activity  in  which  it  eventuates. 


rillL  OSOPIIY  OF  S  YMPA  THY.  I  5  5 

Sympathy  for  which  one  has  to  ask  is  never 
satisfactory.  We  need,  therefore,  to  train  our- 
selves in  the  habit  of  appreciative  attention  to 
the  slightest  indications  of  the  unvoiced  emo- 
tions of  others. 

This  sympathy,  however  spontaneous  it  may 
appear,  needs  cultivation.  There  are  many  ways 
in  which  it  may  be  abused.  For  instance,  the 
mental  phenomenon  known  as  mesmeric  sleep 
is  a  simple  device  by  which  one  acquires  the  art 
of  practically  closing  all  avenues  of  thought 
and  emotion  but  one,  concentrating  all  the  sen- 
sibilities on  that  one  line  of  sympathy  with 
some  one  person,  through  memory  or  imagi- 
nation. Such  an  act  throws  innumerable  pos- 
sibilities into  one  channel.  Under  these  condi- 
tions the  sympathies  are  profuse  and  intense, 
but  unbalanced  and  unreliable.  This  shows 
the  possibilities  of  misuse  of  this  faculty. 

In  the  best  sense,  sympathy  is  one  of  the 
higher  phases  of  the  emotional  life,  and  increases 
strength  and  improves  the  quality  the  higher 
the  grade  of  intellect.  There  is  a  popular  sen- 
timent which  discounts  this  claim.  There  is  a 
certain  reserve,  dignity,  unapproachableness  in 


156  METHODS  AXD  PRLVCIPLES. 

some  prominent  intellectual  characters  that  has 
given  the  impression  that  the  keener  the  intel- 
lectual training  the  lower  and  less  responsive  the 
sympathy.  This  merely  proves  the  possibility 
and  shows  the  danger  of  developing  the  intellect 
away  from  the  sympathy.  It  does  not  prove 
that  such  development  is  natural.  It  indicates 
lack  of  mental  poise,  however  acute  the 
thought,  if  the  sympathy  wanes  as  mental 
culture  increases. 

Awakening  the  senses  awakens  the  sympa- 
thies. Appeals  to  the  lower  range  of  sensibili- 
ties arouse  the  sympathies  that  tend  wrongfully, 
while  those  which  quicken  the  finer  sensibilities 
develop  the  better  sympathies.  This  explains 
the  availability  of  the  song-service  in  revivals. 
Those  songs  that  appeal  to  a  low  range  of  emo- 
tions frequently  stimulate  a  false  hope  in  Christ 
and  produce  erratic  disciples.  It  is  better  to 
use  those  nobler  hymns,  those  standard  melo- 
dies that  have  a  true  sentiment,  that  teach  the 
higher  range  of  sympathies. 

Whoever  is  unduly  occupied  with  his  own 
affairs  shuts  out  the  experiences  of  others,  so 
that  he  cannot  receive  or  reflect  them,  cannot 
benefit  or  be  benefited  by  them. 


niiL osorjiY  OF  s vmpa  thy.         157 

\Vhoever  demands  that  others  come  to  his 
level,  who  views  everything  from  his  own  stand- 
point, loses  the  comfort  of  sympathy  or  the 
power  to  comfort  through  it.  Such  a  tendency 
develops  the  selfish,  egotistical,  unshareable  ele- 
ments in  our  nature.  Whoever  enjoys  rivalry 
and  competition,  through  his  energies,  wherever 
there  is  opportunity  to  excel,  simply  from  love 
of  victory,  soon  precludes  the  possibility  of 
being  genuinely  sympathetic  with  men  in  their 
need. 

The  oyster  builds  his  shell  so  that  the  inside 
is  smooth  as  pearl,  but  the  outside  is  rough, 
coarse,  unsightly,  unattractive.  Thus  non- 
sympathetic  people  seem  to  care  only  for  pol- 
ishing up  circumstances  and  interests  that  come 
in  contact  with  themselves,  and  by  which  they 
profit.  It  is  a  short-sighted  policy.  It  is  better 
every  way  to  know  by  experience,  in  sympathy 
as  well  as  in  other  things,  that  it  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive.  It  pays  to  smooth  that 
which  chafes  others  as  well  as  ourselves. 

Whoever  trains  himself  by  habit  to  criticise 
others  loses  the  power  to  benefit  himself  or 
others  through  sympathy.     Such  an  attitude  of 


158  METHODS  AA'D  rRINCIPLES. 

mind  leads  one  to  observe  the  manner,  action, 
and  speech  with  a  view  to  discovering  subjects 
for  unfavorable  comment,  and  he  will  make  his 
estimate  upon  what  he  expected  to  see,  and  will 
be  inclined  to  think  he  saw  it  even  though  he 
did  not.  The  motive  with  which  we  look  into 
others'  actions  largely  determines  what  we  see 
there. 

"  Do  not  look  for  wrong  and  evil  — 
You  will  find  them  if  yoii  do  ; 

"  Look  for  goodness,  look  for  gladness, 
You  will  meet  them  all  the  while  ; 
If  you  bring  a  smiling  visage 
To  the  glass,  you  meet  a  smile."' 

Much  depends  upon  the  class  of  men  and 
influences  with  which  we  are  in  sympathy.  We 
should  aim  to  be  in  personal  sympathy  with  the 
best  men  in  our  circle  of  acquaintances,  in  our 
nation,  in  our  age,  the  best  men  in  history. 

Society,  politics,  theology,  and  the  church 
itself,  are  always  liable  to  be  in  commotion. 
Parties  arise,  issues  are  made,  and  much  de- 
pends upon  our  attitude  in  such  emergencies. 
It  is  of  the  highest  importance  that  we  secure 
a  reputation  for  being  uniformly  in  sympathy 
with  those  men  and  measures  which  represent 
the  most  conscience  and  common  sense. 


PHJL  OSOPI/Y  OF  S  }  WPA  TIIY.  I  5  9 

It  is  well  to  emphasize  that  phase  of  Chris- 
tianity which  consists  in  being  actively  in 
sympathy  with  the  needs  of  humanity;  with  the 
requirements  of  God's  word  in  repentance,  and 
all  moral  virtues ;  with  all  the  privileges  it  offers 
through  prayer,  faith,  and  hope  ;  with  the  per- 
sonal Christ  through  confidential,  experimental 
relations  with  him :  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  all 
his  tender,  comforting,  inspiring  ministration. 
That  sympathy  into  which  Christian  experience 
introduces  us  is  one  of  the  most  sacred  emotions 
of  the  human  heart. 

Whoever  wields  the  keenest,  most  judicious, 
sympathetic  power  will,  other  things  being 
equal,  most  effectively  and  permanently  mould 
character.  He  who  commands  the  resources  of 
Divine  truth,  the  melody  of  Scripture  texts,  the 
enkindling  fervor  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  compas- 
sionate love  of  Christ,  has  influences  to  awaken 
sympathy  of  the  highest  order.  With  this  priv- 
ilege comes  corresponding  responsibility. 

According  to  the  latest  and  most  approved 
science,  the  teacher  of  deaf  mutes,  when  she 
wishes  the  earless,  voiceless  child  to  read  words 
from    the   lips    of    others,    mechanically    artic- 


l6o  METHODS  AXD  PRINCIPLES. 

iilating  the  response,  takes  both  the  child's 
hands  in  her  own,  placing  them  upon  either  side 
of  her  body  where  the  vibrations  are  most 
distinct,  pressing  them  gently  while  speaking 
slowly,  resonantly,  that  the  sensitive  touch  of 
the  child  may  aid  in  reading  the  vocal  utter- 
ances of  the  lips  through  her  eloquent  form 
that  vibrates  rhythmically  with  her  unheard 
voice. 

Thus  the  Sunday-school  teacher  who  adds  to 
other  qualities  as  an  instructor  that  of  sympa- 
thy will  impart  the  thrill  of  Christian  life  and 
love  from  his  vibrant  life  of  truth  as  it  is  in 
Christ.  He  must  remember  to  teach  by  precept 
as  well  as  example,  that  the  pupils  whom  he 
sends  forth  into  life  may  perpetuate  his  power 
through  the  sympathies  of  mankind. 


THE   PHILOSOPHY   OF   BELIEF. 


"  What  ardently  we  wish  we  soon  believe." —  Young. 
"Who  never  doubted,  never  half  believed." —  Bailey. 
"  Uncertain  ways  unsafest  are."  —  Denh.\m. 
"  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 

—  Acts  i6  :  31. 
"  Belief  consists  in  accepting  the  affirmations  of  the  soul," 

—  Emerson. 
"  When  in  God  thou  believest,  near  God  thou  wilt  certainly  be." 

—  Leland. 
"  The  pr.acticai  effect  of  a  belief  is  the  real  test  of  its  soundness." 

—  Froude. 
"  Doubt  indulged  soon  becomes  doubt  realized."  —  Havergal. 


IX. 

THE    PHILOSOPHY   OF    BELIEF. 

HE  teacher  of  God's  Word  has  the 
privilege  and  the  duty  of  anchoring  the 
mind  and  heart  of  humanity  in  all  that 
is  true  and  noble,  hopeful  and  helpful,  through 
an  intelligent,  restful  belief  in  that  which  is 
eternal  in  its  inspirations  and  rewards. 

Anti-Christian  writers,  by  their  indifference 
to  the  claims  of  Christian  truth,  exert  a  disas- 
trous influence  upon  many  thoughtful  youth 
who  go  from  our  instruction  into  the  Higher 
institutions  of  learning,  or  become  readers  of  a 
class  of  aristocratic  periodicals.  The  corrective 
of  this  impulse  to  doubt  is  such  a  judicious 
development  of  the  art  of  believing,  as  shall 
enable  the  mind  to  weigh  intelligently,  honestly, 
and  devoutly  all  literary  criticism. 

Discrimination  in  the  use  of  terms  is  nowhere 
more  vital  than  in  estimating  the  relative  merit 

163 


164  METHODS  AiYD  PRINCIPLES. 

and  demerit  of  skeptical  and  devout  views  of 
human  tendency  and  need,  and  divine  power 
and  truth. 

Belief  is  prompt  assent  to  or  acceptance  of 
that  which  we  do  not  know  with  absolute  cer- 
tainty. 

If  we  are  absolutely  certain  that  a  fact  is 
established  or  a  proposition  truthful  from  per- 
sonal observation,  experiment,  or  experience, 
then  it  is  knowledge  or  belief  crystallized. 

There  is  a  moral  certainty  in  belief.  In  a 
sense,  we  are  as  sure  that  our  belief  is  correct 
as  of  many  things  that  we  know  by  observation. 
I  know  that  every  object  that  I  have  ever  seen, 
unsupported,  falls  to  the  earth.  I  believe  that 
every  object  that  is  not  properly  supported  will 
fall.  I  have  no  absolute  knowledge  that  the 
apples  that  grow  next  year  will  fall  to  the 
ground  if  not  otherwise  gathered,  but  my  belief 
that  they  will  is  as  real  and  satisfactory  to  me 
as  my  knowledge,  derived  from  the  observations 
of  this  year. 

When  properly  formed,  belief  is  as  reliable  as 
knowledge,  but  it  is  radically  different,  and  the 
distinction  must  not  be  lost  sight  of.     Failure 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  165 

to  appreciate  this  has  led  to  serious  mischief  in 
many  an  experience. 

It  is  a  favorite  device  of  those  who  would 
wreck  the  faith  of  humanity,  to  frighten  men 
away  from  their  belief  because  they  are  not 
absolutely  certain  of  the  truth  which  they 
believe.  The  man  who  understands  what  belief 
is,  and  appreciates  that  he  rests  it  upon  that 
which  he  absolutely  knows,  can  meet  all  cap- 
tious criticism  as  calmly  as  he  would  a  denial 
that  the  sun  will  rise  to-morrow  —  speaking 
after  the  manner  of  man  —  because  we  do  not 
know  that  it  will,  we  merely  believe  it. 

It  is  also  claimed  by  some  anti-Christian  men 
that  it  is  a  virtue  not  to  give  ready  assent. 
This  is  the  test  :  If  we  hesitate  or  waver,  we  do 
not  believe.  We  may  conclude  or  estimate  that 
a  thing  is  true  after  careful  deliberation,  but 
we  only  believe  that  which  we  assent  to 
promptly. 

He  who  knows  his  rights  and  privileges  in 
belief  occupies  the  same  vantage  ground  as  a 
man  of  business  who  is  conversant  with  the 
written  and  unwritten  laws  that  regulate  mer- 
cantile affairs.     There  is  no  more  reason  why 


1 66  METHODS  AA'D  PRIXCIPLES. 

men  should  be  imposed  upon  by  the  skeptic's 
sophistry  than  by  a  quack  in  medicine  or  a 
trickster  in  trade. 

Belief  makes  all  knowledge  available.  There 
is  scarcely  a  thing  which  we  know,  that  can  be 
applied  by  us  without  belief.  The  doing  of 
anything  requires  the  projection  of  that  which 
we  know  into  the  future,  and  that  invoh'es 
belief. 

Science,  art,  and  mechanics  rest  upon  belief 
in  the  principles  and  laws  of  matter  and  force. 
Beyond  the  known  is  much  to  which  we  give 
prompt  assent,  and  without  which  belief  we 
could  not  progress  in  investigation  or  experi- 
ment. 

Commercial  and  social  relations  have  their 
security  in  belief  in  man,  in  his  general  loyalty 
to  the  principles  of  personal  and  public  integrity 
and  virtue. 

Religion  has  as  many  known  facts  as  its  com- 
panions. It  is  not,  as  some  would  have  us 
think,  at  a  disadvantage  in  this  regard,  Man's 
necessities  are  known,  his  experiences  are  defi- 
nite. The  benefits  of  his  prayers,  faith,  love, 
and  worship,  are  matters  of  knowledge.    Like  all 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 67 

science,  art,  trade,  and  society,  religion  has  its 
principles  and  laws  to  which  the  mind  instinct- 
ively renders  prompt  assent.  The  belief  of  its 
votaries  is  as  tangible  and  satisfactory,  to  say 
the  least,  as  the  belief  of  any  other  class  of  men 
in  any  department  of  life. 

Belief  is  the  normal  attitude  of  the  mind.  We 
promptly  accept  the  permanency  of  matter, 
constancy  of  force,  and  sincerity  of  man  until 
we  have  experience  with  nature  and  life.  There 
is  no  law,  probably,  so  thoroughly  established 
but  that  it  has  apparent  exceptions  sufficient  to 
cause  the  child  to  hesitate  in  his  loyalty,  and 
this  wavering  condition  of  mind  is  doubt. 

One  who  had  never  seen  water  except  as  a 
liquid,  and  had  never  heard  of  it  in  any  other 
state,  would  believe  that  it  is  always  thus.  But 
on  going  to  a  climate  in  which  it  freezes,  he 
would  know  that  it  is  sometimes  a  solid,  and  all 
his  belief  concerning  it  would  be  shaken. 

There  are  men,  even  preachers,  among  the 
negroes  and  mountain  white  people  of  the 
South  who  sincerely  believe  the  earth  to  be  flat 
and  immovable  until  they  are  convinced  that  it 
is   spheroidal,  and   both    rotates  and  revolves. 


1 68  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

This  conviction  destroys  their  former  belief,  and 
leads  them  to  doubt  the  constancy  of  nature. 

The  child  promptly  accepts  the  fact  of  his 
mother's  love  because  she  feeds,  cares  for,  and 
comforts  him.  His  belief  in  her  is  instinctive 
until  she  declines  to  give  him  something  that 
he  desires  ;  then  he  questions  her  love.  He  also 
accepts  the  fact  of  his  father's  love  until  he  pun- 
ishes him,  and  then  the  child  challenges  the 
father's  claim.  Doubt  is  the  suspense  of  belief 
caused  by  discordant  experiences. 

So  long  as  life  moves  in  harmony  with  un- 
questioned belief  all  goes  well ;  but  one  counter 
experience  after  nineteen  favorable  ones  causes 
us  to  hesitate,  and  a  repetition  of  this  counter- 
experience  leads  us  to  readjust  our  theory;  and 
this  unsettled  state  of  mind,  in  which  we  are 
uncertain  whether  we  believe  or  not,  is  doubt. 

Doubt  is  inevitable  when  circumstances  favor. 
Indeed,  it  is  a  testimony,  with  some  limitations, 
to  a  sound,  healthy  mind.  The  man  who  has 
never  doubted  anything  may  well  question  his 
own  intelligence.  Every  belief  has,  practically, 
its  period  of  doubt,  which  is  not  of  necessity 
harmful. 


THE  rniLosoriiY  of  belief.  169 

The  word  doubt  has  been  needlessly  degraded. 
In  its  best  sense  it  is  like  the  soil  in  springtime, 
when  it  is  being  mellowed  from  frozen  earth  in 
preparation  to  germinate  seed  and  be  the  depos- 
itory of  life.  Under  proper  conditions,  doubt  is 
merely  the  pubescent  state  of  belief. 

It  should  be  so  utilized  as  to  be  a  permanent 
assistance  to  belief.  It  needs  to  be  used  in  tem- 
pering the  belief  to  such  elasticity  that  it  will 
spring  back  from  doubt  into  normal,  confiding 
belief.  The  child  who  learns  that  the  mother 
withheld  the  lu.xury  for  which  he  teased,  to  pre- 
vent pain  and  sickness,  has  ever  after  a  higher 
type  of  belief  in  her  love,  though  he  may  have 
doubted  it  when  his  wish  was  refused. 

The  father  who  hesitates  to  discipline  his 
child,  from  fear  that  he  will  doubt  his  love, 
entirely  mistakes  the  mission  of  doubt ;  he  should 
even  welcome  the  doubt,  if  in  this  way  only  he 
can  be  led  to  see  the  greater  scope  of  his  father's 
love. 

The  smith  tempers  steel  to  great  elasticity  by 
first  heating  it,  and  then  dipping  in  water  for  an 
instant,  repeating  the  process  until  it  is  properly 
tempered.     If,  however,  he  should  plunge  it  in 


I70  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

the  water  and  leave  it  there,  it  would  become 
too  brittle  for  service.  The  scientific  explana- 
tion seems  to  be  that  the  gradual  process  gives 
the  particles  ability  to  cohere  tenaciously  to 
those  on  all  sides. 

So  doubt,  rightly  used,  seems  to  inspire  us  to 
keener  intelligence  in  our  search  for  the  rela- 
tions and  foundations  of  our  belief,  and  to  more 
tenacious  loyalty  to  beliefs  that  have  been  duly 
tempered.  In  this  sense,  "Who  never  doubted, 
never  half  believed," 

"There  lives  more  faith  in  honest  doubt, 
Believe  me,  than  in  half  the  creeds." 

If  we  allow  doubt  to  disintegrate  our  habit  of 
belief,  it  will  destroy  all  elasticity,  and  thus 
.become  disbelief. 

Unbelief  is  doubt  habituated.  Disbelief  is 
doubt  enthroned.  Unbelief  neglects  to  accept 
truth ;  disbelief  refuses  to  accept  it.  Disbelief 
is  positive,  aggressive,  and  denies  belief.  It  is 
jealous  of  its  authority,  and  will  not  be  ap- 
proached by  any  argument  or  evidence. 

Doubt  may  be  wise,  unbelief  may  be  merely 
heedless,  but  disbelief  is  normally  a  vicious  state 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  I/I 

of  mind.  Doubt  may  lead  to  independence,  un- 
belief may  become  remonstrance,  disbelief  is  re- 
bellion. 

Disbelief  leads  to  faintheartedness,  apprehen- 
sion of  danger,  fear  of  evil,  alarm  at  every  unex- 
pected occurrence. 

Despondency  is  a  fruit  of  disbelief.  It  is 
permanent  discouragement,  and  leads  to  the 
abandonment  of  effort  to  better  our  condition. 
It  settles  down  to  the  work  of  life  as  to  the 
inevitable,  without  heart.  It  is  the  end  of 
intellectual  activity,  and  may,  perhaps,  not  in- 
appropriately be  styled  the  extreme  of  the  evil 
of  disbelief  on  the  intellectual  side  of  our 
being. 

Despair  is  the  extreme  of  the  evil  of  disbelief 
from  the  emotional  side.  It  is  the  height  of 
horror,  and  bids  farewell  to  hope  and  every 
comforting  emotion.  It  companions  with  fear 
and  remorse,  and  revels  with  them. 

"  0£  comfort  no  man  speak  : 
Let 's  talk  of  graves,  of  worms,  and  epitaphs." 

This  is  the  delirium  tremens  of  the  emotional 
life,  brought  on  by  the  intoxication  of  disbelief 
when  we  drink  overmuch  of  its  evil. 


172  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

Desperation  is  the  extreme  of  the  evil  of 
disbelief  on  the  volitional  side  of  our  being.  It 
is  disbelief  despotically  enthroned  in  the  will, 
controlling  the  choices  for  its  purpose,  making 
the  will  do  the  bidding  of  despondency  and 
despair. 

"O  mischief!  thou  art  swift 
To  enter  in  the  thoughts  of  desperate  men." 

The  Sunday-school  has  not  done  its  work 
until  it  has  clearly  taught  the  relation  of  doubt, 
unbelief,  and  disbelief,  emphasizing  »the  ten- 
dency of  the  latter,  not  fanatically,  not  as 
though  its  extremes  were  sure  to  follow,  but  as 
bearing  a  similar  relation  to  disbelief  that  drunk- 
enness bears  to  moderate  drinking.  Without 
placing  involuntary  doubt  in  a  false  position,  we 
must  arraign  disbelief  as  a  positive  evil,  person- 
ally, socially,  and  religiously. 

Skepticism  is  a  theological  term  whose  full 
significance  seems  not  to  have  been  settled.  It 
is  used  by  different  apparent  authorities  as 
referring  to  any  one  of  the  three  states  of  mind, 
doubt,  unbelief,  or  disbelief,  and  should  be 
given  the  relative  importance  of  the  word  for 
which  it  is  used.     Because  of  its  vagueness,  it 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 73 

is  better  to  use  one  of  the  three  terms  whose 
significance  is  settled. 

Any  Christian  leader,  in  pulpit  or  prayer- 
room,  in  the  Sunday-school  or  home,  who  merely 
divides  humanity  into  believers  and  unbelievers, 
who  classes  all  who  do  not  accept  Christ  as  a 
personal  leader  in  the  same  great  cgmpany  of 
sinners,  takes  a  responsibility  that  may  well 
cause  him  to  shudder.  To  treat  a  doubter  as 
though  he  were  a  disbeliever  is  to  take  the  risk 
of  outraging  his  better  nature. 

Disbelievers  are  more  rare  than  we  think. 
Our  standard  of  profession  and  confession  is  not 
so  perfected  as  to  warrant  any  man  in  treating 
those  who  do  not  answer  his  interrogation  as 
though  he  were  a  disbeliever.  The  very  atmos- 
phere has  more  faith  in  it  than  we  give  credit 
for.  With  all  the  laxity  and  heedlessness,  with 
all  the  irreverence  there  is  about  us,  there  is  not 
so  much  of  disbelief  after  all.  Frances  Power 
Cobbe,  in  a  recent  number  of  the  Contemporary 
Rcviciv,  in  speaking  of  the  fact  that  the  nearest 
approach  to  an  atheist  that  we  can  produce  is 
really  no  atheists  at  all,  says,  they  "are  no  more 
fair  samples  of  the  outcome  of  atheism  than  a 


174  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

little  party  of  English  youths  who  had  lived  for 
a  few  years  in  Central  Africa  would  be  samples 
of  negrroes.  It  would  take  several  thousand 
years  to  make  a  full-blooded  atheist  out  of  the 
scion  of  forty  generations  of  Christians,  Our 
whole  mental  constitutions  have  been  built  up 
on  the  food  of  religious  ideas.  A  man  on  a 
mountain-top  might  as  well  resolve  not  to 
breathe  the  ozone  in  the  air,  as  to  live  in  the 
intellectual  atmosphere  of  England  and  inhale 
no  Christianity."  Disbelief  in  a  thorough 
Christian  community  is  a  difficult  thing  to  ma- 
ture. There  is  doubt,  there  is  unbelief.  There 
is  danger  of  all  the  consequences  we  have  been 
considering.  We  want  to  learn  from  Christ  the 
art  of  winning  the  human  mind  and  heart  from 
doubt  and  unbelief  to  loyalty  and  allegiance. 

Belief  in  its  better  phases  is  buoyant.  As 
the  bird  fills  its  very  bones  with  the  air  through 
which  it  flies,  to  give  buoyancy  to  the  body,  so 
belief  permeates  the  entire  being,  thrilling  us 
with  confidence  in  everything  in  earth  and 
Heaven  that  God  uses  and  would  have  us  use. 
As  the  plumage  of  the  bird  partakes  of  the  col- 
ors of  the  rainbow  and  the  sunset,  so,  through 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 75 

belief,  we  may  give  to  our  earthly  life  the  hue 
and  tint  of  Heaven  itself. 

We  should  be  honest  with  ourselves  and  our 
pupils,  and  admit  that  belief  does  not  always 
tend  to  virtuous  states  of  mind.  We  attempt 
too  much  when  we  assume  to  defend  belief  in 
all  its  phases  and  possibilities.  It  is  too  vast  a 
subject,  and  ranges  down  the  scale  as  well  as 
up. 

Credulity  accepts  promptly  and  with  im- 
plicit confidence  whatever  appeals  to  our  belief. 
The  more  improbable  it  is,  the  more  enthusiasti- 
cally it  is  believed.  Gladstone  speaks  of  cre- 
dulity as  the  rival  folly  of  excessive  skepticism. 
It  always  brings  sincere,  intelligent  belief  into 
disrepute.  Credulity,  encouraged,  leads  to  su- 
perstition on  the  one  hand,  or  fanaticism  on  the 
other. 

Superstition  is  the  exercise  of  credulity  along 
sombre  lines.  It  leads  to  uncomfortable  ima- 
ginings, weak  fears,  dark  forebodings.  It  is 
allied  with  fatality.  It  is  sordid,  earthy,  barbar- 
ous in  its  nature.  It  is  antagonistic  to  intelli- 
gence, true  virtue,  and  even  civilization  itself.  It 
tends  to  superstitious  reverence  for  signs  and 


176  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

traditions,  becoming  in  that  way  an  almost 
criminal    abuse    of   the    privilege    of    believing. 

The  superstition  in  which  we  were  brought 
up  is  said  never  to  lose  its  power  over  us,  even 
after  we  understand  it.  This  is  not  strictly 
true,  but  it  requires  an  immense  waste  of  nerve 
energy  and  will  power  to  rid  ourselves  of  its 
grip.  There  are  more  than  we  suspect,  among 
Christians  even,  who  regard  with  more  or  less 
favor  signs  which  have  come  down  the  genera- 
tions. This  exhibits  the  tenacity  with  which 
heathen  idolatry  clings  to  civilized  life.  Legiti- 
mate belief  is  discounted  so  long  as  those  who 
exercise  it  dishonor  God  by  suspecting  him  of 
being  guilty  of  dealing  with  men,  individually 
or  collectively,  by  the  whims  of  animals,  by 
household  accidents,  or  the  chance  of  times  or 
seasons.  So  long  as  God  has  all  the  resources 
of  earth  and  Heaven  through  which  to  work,  so 
long  as  He  can  speak  directly  to  4lie  human 
soul  in  mind  or  heart,  so  long  as  His  Word 
speaks  to  the  intellect  and  conscience  of  man- 
kind, it  is  sacrilegious  to  study  "  signs  "  of  com- 
ing mischief. 

Fanaticism  is  an  equally  serious  possibility  in 


THE  rniLOSOPIIY  OF  BELIEF.  1 77 

the  development  of  credulity,  and  is  its  aggres- 
sive tendency.  It  is  self-confident  assurance  that 
we  may  rush  madly  into  any  course  in  which,  in 
a  high  state  of  excitement,  we  believe,  without 
regard  to  consequences.  It  leads  to  a  convic- 
tion that  we  have  a  direct  Divine  guidance, 
which  exempts  us  from  all  caution. 

It  regards  expediency  as  a  crime.  To  reason 
is  akin  to  blasphemy,  with  the  fanatic.  The 
more  solitary  the  believer  in  his  fanaticism,  the 
more  certain  he  is  that  he  is  right.  If  he  can 
only  feel  sure  that  there  is  not  another  person 
on  earth  who  thinks  as  he  does,  his  bliss  is  com- 
plete, as  he  abuses  that  glorious  sentence,  "  One 
with  God  is  a  majority,"  There  is  no  crime 
that  fanaticism  does  not  magnify  into  a  vir- 
tue. 

We  cannot  be  too  careful  to  disabuse  the 
public  mind  of  the  impression  that  credulity, 
supeistitioij,  and  fanaticism  are  the  legitimate 
fruits  of  belief;  neither  can  we  be  too  definite 
in  teaching  youth  that  to  it,  weak,  dangerous, 
and  sometimes  sinful  tendencies  may  be  given. 

Expectant  attention  is  another  phase  of  belief 
to  which  we  need  to  give  thought.     It  is  a  term 


1/8  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

covering  table-tipping,  planchette,  and  kindred 
phenomena.  It  is  called  expectant  attention 
because  the  whole  mind  is  so  possessed  with  the 
idea  that  a  certain  action  will  take  place,  and  is 
"so  eagerly  directed  towards  the  indications  of 
its  occurrence  "  with  such  emotional  excitement 
as  to  produce,  through  involuntary  muscular 
movement,  the  things  they  expect.  The  success 
of  all  the  experiments  here  indicated  require 
absolute  faith  and  accompanying  attention. 

Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter  has  given  special  thought 
to  these  investigations,  and  his  illustrations  are 
invaluable  aids. 

It  is  a  fact  that  some  people  with  sufficient 
belief  and  power  of  attention  can  hold  a  ring 
suspended  from  the  end  of  the  finger  near  a 
glass  tumbler,  and  have  it  swing  against  the 
tumbler  until  it  has  struck  the  hour  of  day. 
This  has  usually  been  accounted  for  as  the 
work  of  "spirits,"  or  supernatural  influence. 
WJicn  the  pei'formev  is  ignorant  of  the  hour 
it  will  never  strike  the  hour.  It  is  further 
noticeable  that  while  in  America  it  would  strike 
three  in  the  afternoon,  in  Italy  it  would  strike 
fifteen  according  to  the  custom  of  the   people. 


THE  PHILOSOniY  OF  BELIEF.  179 

There  is  no  success  unless  the  eye  is  fixed  on 
the  ring.  It  will  not  strike  the  glass  with 
such  regularity  if  the  eyes  are  turned  away.  It 
requires  belief,  attention,  and  visual  sense  com- 
bined. 

The  turning  of  a  hazel-fork  when  firmly  held 
in  both  hands,  as  used  in  some  country  towns 
to  point  out  the  whereabouts  of  springs  of  wa- 
ter, is  but  another  illustration  of  such  belief  or 
expectant  attention.  It  will  go  up  or  down 
according  to  the  way  in  which  it  is  held  :  up,  if 
the  hands  are  nearer  than  the  natural  position 
of  the  forks  ;  down,  if  farther  apart.  They  will 
eventually  move  if  we  stand  still  as  well  as  if 
we  moved  in  search  of  water,  and  it  will  move 
if  we  fix  our  attention  sharply  enough  to  act 
spasmodically  upon  the  muscles,  even  though 
we  try  to  exert  the  will  to  prevent  its  moving. 
If  a  person  in  whose  hands  it  works  well  will 
cross  a  field  ten  times,  it  will  not  turn  in  the 
same  place  at  different  times,  especially  if  he 
vary  his  gait.  This  shows  that  it  is  in  the  man, 
and  not  in  the  "springs"  of  water. 

Table-tipping,  turning,  etc.,  is  the  same  thing. 
It  results  from  the  belief  and  attention  of  those 


l8o  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

taking  part  in  it,  operating  spasmodically,  but 
unconsciously,  to  them,  through  the  muscles. 
We  have  not  space,  neither  is  it  our  purpose, 
to  detail  the  experiment  by  which  this  can  be 
clearly  shown.  The  writing  of  planchctte  is 
due  to  the  same  phase  of  belief  or  expectancy, 
assisted  by  intense  attention  and  sight.  If  the 
operator  be  blindfolded,  the  instrument  will  not 
work. 

We  may  admit  that  all  these  vicious  phases 
of  life  and  action, — credulity,  superstition,  fa- 
naticism, and  expectant  attention, — are  species 
of  belief,  and  gain  by  the  admission.  They  may 
even  have  their  attractions  and  yet  not  be  dan- 
gerous, if  we  teach  what  they  really  are  in  their 
tendency. 

There  are  serpents  that  are  beautifully,  ex- 
quisitely colored,  and  yet  the  moment  that  we 
see  one  to  be  a  serpent  it  has  no  attractiveness. 
So  we  must  show  the  demoralizing  tendency  of 
credulity,  the  enervating  character  of  supersti- 
tion, the  recklessness  of  fanaticism,  the  serpen- 
tine nature  of  those  "marvellous"  performances 
through  expectant  attention,  which  is  credulity 
gone  mad,  with  method  in  ijts  madness. 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  l8l 

There  are,  however,  distinctive  beneficial 
phases  of  belief  which  are  the  source  of  com- 
fort, inspiration,  peace,  and  joy.  We  mention 
some  of  these. 

Belief,  we  repeat,  is  prompt  assent  to,  or  ac- 
ceptance of,  that  which  we  do  not  know  with 
absolute  certainty. 

Expectancy  is  anticipation  of  future  good, 
with  sufficient  reason  for  such  an  attitude  of  the 
mind.  In  belief  there  is  necessarily  no  element 
of  futurity.  It  has  no  regard  to  consequences. 
Belief  simply  takes  what  is  absolutely  known 
and  applies  such  principles  as  are  reliable,  and 
then  accepts  as  true  that  which  known  facts 
under  these  fixed  principles  indicate.  When 
we  add  a  new  element  we  advance  a  step  and 
give  a  relish  to  our  belief,  and  it  becomes  ex- 
pectancy. 

There  is  little  liability  that  men  of  intelli- 
gence and  caution  will  err  much  in  their  belief, 
but  in  their  expectations  the  danger  increases. 
Our  wishes  are  liable  to  modify'our  expectation. 
We  shall  gain  something  in  the  clearness  of 
this  mental  condition  if  we  test  it  carefully. 

Reliance  is  the  confident  restins:  of  the  mind 


1 82  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

upon  such  expectancy,  satisfied,  intellectually 
and  emotionally,  that  it  will  bring  us,  through 
our  active  co-operation,  that  which  we  need. 
Expectancy  makes  us  confident  of  the  future  ; 
reliance  links  the  present  to  the  future  and  gives 
contentment  now.  This  is  akin  to  that  which 
is  spoken  of  as  trust,  but  that  word  has  such 
varied  significance  that  it  may  as  well  be  ig- 
nored in  a  series  of  definitions  like  these. 

Faith,  Christian  fait/i,  is  belief  developed  into 
expectancy  and  reliance  through  affectionate, 
personal  affiliation  with  Christ. 

"  P\iith  builds  a  bridge  across  the  gulf  of  death, 
To  break  the  shock  blind  nature  cannot  shun, 
And  lands  thought  smoothly  on  the  farther  shore." 

—  Young. 
"  That  Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith." 

"  Faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of 
things  not  seen." 

"  For  by  grace  ye  are  saved  through  faith;  and  that  not  of 
yourselves  :  it  is  the  gift  of  God." 

Hope,  Christian  hope,  is  confident  anticipa- 
tion of  that  which,  in  our  best  frame  of  mind,  we 
most  desire.  It  is  expectancy  at  its  height.  It 
is  its  choicest,  best  distilled  possibilities. 

"The  most  vital  movement  mortals  feel, 
Is  hope,  the  balm  and  life-blood  of  the  soul." 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 83 

"Hope  springs  exultant  on  triumphant  wing." 
"Which  hope  we  have  as  an  anchor  of  the  soul,  both  sure 
and  steadfast,  and  which  entereth  into  that  within  the  vail." 

—  Ileb.  6:  19. 

Peace,  Christian  peace,  is  tranquil  repose 
through  faith  and  hope,  regardless  of  the  dis- 
turbances which  would  otherwise  annoy.  Rus- 
kin  says  people  are  always  expecting  to  get 
peace  in  Heaven,  but  that  whatever  peace  they 
get  there  will  be  ready-made ;  that  whatever  of 
peace  they  can  be  blessed  for  must  be  on  earth 
here.  Life  is  scarcely  worth  the  living  that  is 
not  blessed  with  the  power  and  privilege  of 
peace,  and  it  can  only  come  as  a  fruit  of  belief. 

"  The  fruit  of  righteousness  is  sown  in  peace  of  them  that 
make  peace." 

"  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed 
on  thee." —  Is.  26  :  3. 

"  The  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding,  shall 
keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through  Christ  Jesus." — Phil.  4  :  7. 

Joy,  CJiristiau  joy,  is  the  culmination  of  all  the 
beneficent  effects  of  belief  in  emotional  exhila- 
ration. 

"  Be  glad  in  the  Lord,  and  rejoice,  ye  righteous :  and  shout 
for  joy,  all  ye  that  are  upright  in  heart."  —  Ps.  32  :  11. 
"  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  always  ;  and  again  I  say,  Rejoice." 

Phil.  3:1. 


1 84  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

Psychologists  diJFfer  in  their  assignment  of  a 
home  for  belief.  Some  make  it  a  child  of  the 
intellect,  others  of  the  emotions,  and  still  others 
of  the  will.  Each  advocate  makes  so  good  a 
case  for  his  theory  that  we  incline  to  compound 
them,  and  make  it  an  intellectual,  emotional, 
and  volitional  activity.  In  no  other  way  do  we 
get  a  well-balanced  view  of  it.  Those  who 
accept  either  limited  view  soon  find  themselves 
in  difficulty.  An  intellectual  belief,  merely,  is 
artistic,  logical,  serene,  but  is  not  fervent, 
touches  no  one,  affects  nothing  in  action.  An 
emotional  belief,  merely,  is  aesthetic,  fervid, 
ardent,  but  it  is  not  logical,  is  not  anchored  in 
reason.  It  is  more  an  instinct  than  a  judgment. 
A  volitional  belief  is  ethical  and  determines 
results,  it  regulates  the  conduct  by  the  principles 
of  right  and  wrong.  But  it  has  no  foundation 
judgment  for  its  actions.  It  may  not  satisfy  the 
theorists  so  well,  but  there  is  admirable  psycho- 
logical authority  for  defining  and  classifying  belief 
as  we  have  done,  making  it  intelligent,  emo- 
tional, and  volitional. 

Reasoning  necessitates  belief  as  one  of  its 
elements.     In  inductive  reasoning,  which  passes 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 85 

from  particulars  to  a  general  truth,  belief  plays 
an  active  part.  We  know  the  particulars, 
we  believe  the  general  truth.  For  instance,  we 
know  that  every  unsupported  thing  that  we  have 
seen  falls  to  the  ground,  and  we  draw  the 
general  conclusion  or  form  the  belief  that  the 
earth  attracts  all  bodies  to  itself.  We  afterwards 
observe  that  balloons  do  not  fall,  and  our  belief 
is  disturbed  by  doubt.  But  if  we  study  these 
exceptions  that  have  caused  us  to  doubt,  we 
learn  that  it  is  the  earth's  attraction  for  the 
weightier  air  that  has  forced  the  balloons  upward, 
that  they  are  supported  by  the  unseen  air,  and 
then  we  are  confident  that  there  is  a  way  to  ex- 
plain all  apparent  exceptions  to  the  rule,  and  we 
give  prompt  assent  to  the  conclusion,  and  our 
belief  is  intelligent  and  firm. 

In  deductive  reasoning  which  establishes  a 
particular  truth  from  a  general,  belief  plays  an 
indispensable  part.     For  instance,  -^ 

No  Christian  steals, 

This  man  steals, 

Therefore  this  man  is  not  a  Christian. 

The  first  requisite  is  belief  in  the  first  prop- 
osition.    Without  belief  we  cannot  reason. 


1 86  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

There  are  also  different  degrees  and  qualities 
of  belief.  Historical  belief,  requiring  confidence 
in  the  reliability  and  disinterestedness  of  the 
chronicler,  differs  from  scientific  belief  that 
rests  upon  confidence  in  the  facilities,  faithful- 
ness, and  ability  of  an  advocate,  or  upon  the 
thoroughness  and  reliability  of  our  own  investi- 
gations. Personal  belief  in  the  integrity  and 
honor  of  a  friend  involves  confidence  in  our 
opportunities  to  know,  and  discernment  in 
estimating  his  strength  and  weakness  ;  which  is 
quite  distinct  from  religious  belief,  which  neces- 
sitates devout  allegiance  to  God  because  of  His 
supremacy  and  beneficence,  together  with  affec- 
tionate reliance  upon  and  confidence  in  Him. 

Clear  discriminations  in  this  direction  will 
incline  the  young  to  estimate  the  appeals  made 
to  them,  reducing  the  liability  of  being  swept 
into  credulity  on  the  one  side  and  disbelief  on 
the  other. 

Childhood  is  the  age  of  credulity,  and  the 
temptation  is  great  to  intensify  this  tendency. 
There  is  never  harm  in  the  native  play  of 
credulity  more  than  in  the  frolic  of  a  colt,  but 
to  develop  it  into  superstition  is  as  sinful  as  it  is 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 87 

cruel.  To  check  credulity  in  early  life  is  liable 
to  wreck  the  native  tendency  to  belief  forever 
There  is  a  golden  mean  to  be  sought,  and'  while 
youth  are  still  buoyant  with  hope,  they  are  to  be 
taught  and  practised  in  restraint,  and  given  the 
proper  stimulus  of  faith. 

Youth  above  fifteen,  —  i.  e.,  when  they  first 
experience  the  stern  realities  of  life  —  become 
doubters,  unbelievers,  very  easily,  and  need  to 
be  promptly,  wisely,  fervently  directed  in  right 
ways. 

As  the  courts  demand  that  a  man  who  has 
hitherto  borne  a  good  reputation  shall  be  con- 
sidered innocent  until  he  be  proved  guilty, 
so  belief  is  not  to  be  scandalized  by  doubt  until 
special  definite  experience  arrests  it  and  is  able 
at  least  to  present  an  indictment  against  it. 

The  position  which  some  assume,  that  doubt 
is  an  inherent  virtue,  needs  to  be  thoroughly 
ventilated,  and  its  innate  viciousness"  exposed. 
Intelligent  belief  is  a  virtue,  is  restful  and 
satisfying;  it  conserves  all  mental  and  moral 
forces,  it  places  the  faculties  in  readiness  for 
action.  Doubt,  so  far  as  it  leans  to  disbelief,  is 
a  misfortune,  is  a  physical,  mental,  and  moral 


1 88  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

disturbance,  is  unsatisfying,  wastes  energy,  and 
unnerves  for  all  good  work. 

"  Our  doubts  are  traitors, 

And  make  us  lose  the  good  we  oft  might  win, 

By  fearing  to  attempt." 

No  youth  should  go  from  the  Sunday-school 
without  knowing  that  experience  will  challenge 
his  belief,  but  that  for  him  to  be  on  the  alert 
for  opportunities  to  doubt  is  to  make  himself  in 
his  own  mental  life  what  the  scandal-monger  is 
in  society. 

Our  own  unflinching,  intelligent  loyalty  to 
the  truth  we  teach  is  pre-eminently  important. 
A  judicial  habit  of  mind  in  weighing  and  esti- 
mating facts  is  essential  to  success  in  forming  our 
own  belief,  and  in  moulding  the  belief  of  others. 

Verbal  expression  intensifies  belief.  A  clear 
statement  of  a  truth  is  of  itself  mental  and  emo- 
tional power.  No  brilliancy  of  intellectual  ef- 
fort is  so  effective,  no  fervency  of  emotion  is 
more  effective,  than  a  clear,  verbal  expression  of 
a  belief.  Doubt  yields  to  no  human  attack  more 
readily  than  to  an  explicit,  luminous  statement 
of  a  belief.  Words  well  arranged  in  definition 
are  like  an  army  drawn  up  in  battle  array.    The 


THE  PIIILOSOrilY  OF  BELIEF.  1 89 

Bible  demand  for  verbal  confession  of  our  faith 
is  strictly  philosophical  in  its  bearing  upon  life, 
thought,  and  emotion.  "  With  the  heart  man 
believeth  unto  righteousness ;  and  ivith  the 
month  confession  is  made  unto  salvation  "  (Rom. 
10 :  10). 

Thus  grouping  the  Scripture  truths,  we  may- 
teach  the  philosophy  of  Divine  truth  ;  the  aes- 
thetics of  Christianity,  or  how  to  balance  the 
emotional  life  so  that  it  shall  be  aglow  with 
sacred  fervor  without  being  wea:k  and  nerveless  ; 
the  ethics  of  Christianity,  or  how  to  choose  the 
right  with  fearless  steadfastness,  without  fanati- 
cism. 

Belief  is  not  matured  until  it  embodies  itself 
in  action.  It  is  the  weakest  sentimentality  that 
talks  of  believing  what  is  not  lived  up  to.  Acts 
performed  for  the  mere  pleasure  they  bring  do 
not  indicate  belief.  Acts  done  with  deliberate 
disregard  of  present  consequences,  for  the  sake 
of  principle  and  its  future  reward,  indicate  belief. 
Readiness  to  act  should  an  opportunity  present 
itself  signifies  as  much  as  defined  action  under 
other  conditions. 

The  materialization  of   belief  in  action,  the 


190  METHODS  AXD  PRIXCirLES. 

crystallization  of  thought  in  deed,  is  indispensa- 
ble. It  is  a  philosophic  tribute  to  the  wisdom  of 
the  apostolic  assurance  that  faith  without  works 
is  dead. 

"  If  faith  produce  no  works,  I  see, 
That  faith  is  not  a  living  tree. 
Thus  faith  and  works  together  grow  : 
No  separate  life  they  e'er  can  know: 
They  're  soul  and  body,  hand  and  heart ; 
What  God  hath  joined,  let  no  man  part." 

The  motive  of  belief  or  disbelief  can  be  can 
canvassed  with  profit.  An  agent  who  pre- 
sents a  book,  machine,  or  mine  has  a  different 
motive  from  the  neighbor  who  asks  you  to 
join  him  in  sending  a  Thanksgiving  turkey  to 
a  family  whom  adverse  circumstances  have 
clouded  ;  the  politician  appeals  to  you  from  a 
different  motive  from  the  statesman  ;  the  fanat- 
ical, self-conscious  reformer  has  a  different  mo- 
tive from  the  quiet,  undemonstrative  lover  of 
mankind  who  seeks  the  greatest  good  of  the 
greatest  number  with  the  least  social  or  political 
upheaval ;  a  credulous  specialist  in  religion,  who 
urges  belief  in  some  eccentricity  of  faith,  has  a 
different  motive  from  him  who  invites  alle- 
giance to  the  truth  of    God    in    its   spirit   and 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  igi 

power ;  the  skeptic,  who  attempts  to  win  you 
to  disbelief,  differs  in  motive  from  the  man  who 
seeks  to  bring  you  into  a  state  of  loyalty  to  a 
personal  Saviour,  who  calls  for  affectionate 
sacrifice. 

To  be  skilled  in  estimating  the  motives  of 
those  who  would  secure  our  belief  or  disbelief, 
tends  to  balance  our  emotions,  and  always  leads 
to  greater  confidence  in  those  who,  from  disin- 
terested motives,  appeal  for  belief  in  the  eternal 
verities. 

The  bodily  and  mental  condition  is  responsi- 
ble for  a  quickened  tendency  through  transitory 
emotions  to  doubt,  disbelief,  despondency,  and 
despair,  and  this  needs  to  be  so  definitely  and 
clearly  understood  in  advance  that  when  these 
physically  engendered  experiences  come  they 
will  have  been  robbed  of  their  power  to  at- 
tach themselves  as  habits  of  mind,  prompting 
us,  instead  of  brooding  over  them,  to  devote 
ourselves  to  reinvigorating  the  system  to  prevent 
their  continuance  or  reappearance.  This  is  a 
very  important  consideration.  Many  excellent 
Christians  lose  much  enjoyment  from  mistaken 
ideas  on  this  point. 


192  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

The  work  of  the  Sunday-school  is  to  teach 
belief  in  God  and  His  Word,  We  are  to  teach 
belief  in  the  existence  of  God.  The  child,  in 
all  probability,  believes  this,  but  there  is  a 
liability  to  his  having  this  belief  shaken  by  the 
ruthless  assaults  of  skeptically  vicious  men. 
It  is  therefore  important  that  children  know 
what  reason  there  is  for  their  belief,  aside  from 
the  fact  that  they  do  believe.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  we  elaborate  the  logical  argument  for  the 
existence  of  God,  but  we  may  wisely  call 
attention  to  what  we  know  of  the  works  of  God 
in  nature,  which  indicate  a  supreme  mind  as 
conceiving  the  idea  of  this  universe  in  all  its 
parts  and  varieties.  It  is  a  never-failing  source 
of  interest,  as  well  as  profit,  to  dwell  upon  the 
adaptability  of  every  created  object  to  other 
creations.  Before  aught  was  created,  the  whole 
must  have  been  conceived.  It  is  well  to  follow 
this  by  calling  attention  to  what  we  know  of 
nature  as  indicating  the  command  of  force  in 
creation,  or  in  realizing  that  which  had  been 
planned.  It  is  easy  to  entertain  and  delight 
children  with  the  skill  required  to  make  anything 
with  tools,  and  show  them  how  much  intellect 


rjiE  PHILOSOPHY  of  belief.         193 

and  patience  it  takes  to  do  well  any  mechanical 
work  of  high  order.  Thus,  from  what  they 
know  it  is  easy  to  establish  a  belief,  or,  rather, 
give  a  reason  for  the  belief  they  already  have. 
In  the  same  line  may  be  shown  the  tendency  of 
all  force  to  exhaust  itself  when  applied,  or  the 
impossibility  of  perpetual  motion,  and  yet  the 
power  behind  all  created  objects  and  forces  is  in- 
exhaustible. Thus  we  may  explain  belief  in  God 
as  the  Preserver  of  the  universe,  as  the  ever- 
living  and  ever-present,  the  all-knowing  and  all- 
powerful  Father  and  Author  of  all  things.  In 
the  same  way  we  may  explain  our  belief  in  God 
from  what  we  know  of  Him  as  reflected  in  our 
own  nature. 

We  need  so  to  teach  belief  in  the  existence  of 
God  that  all  tendencies  and  temptations  to 
doubt  shall  be  harmless ;  that  youth  may  escape 
the  horrors  of  disbelief,  which  brings  in  its 
wake  despair  and  desperation  :  that  they  may 
avoid  the  evils  of  credulity,  superstition,  and 
fanaticism  ;  that  they  shall  have  an  intelligent 
faith,  an  affectionate  reliance,  a  devout  love,  a 
profound  peace,  a  serene  hope,  and  an  exhilarat- 
ing joy. 


194  METHODS  AXD  PRINCIPLES. 

An  intelligent  belief  in  the  Scriptures  is 
indispensable;  and  this  requires  a  judicious  use 
of  what  is  known  in  substantiating  what  is 
believed. 

One  line  of  facts  or'  class  of  knowledge  may- 
be stated  thus.  Man  is  capable  of  performing 
voluntary  acts  in  which  he  is  more  or  less 
influenced  by  the  supposed  approval  or  disap- 
proval of  a  Suprejne  Power.  Man  clearly  believes 
in  such  a  power,  and  acts  with  a  distinct  impres- 
sion that  that  Being  has  a  law  which  we  keep  or 
violate  in  all  moral  action. 

If  there  be  a  Supreme  Being,  if  He  rules,  if  He 
has  a  law,  and  that  law  is  not  revealed,  how  can 
there  be  accountability }  All  admit  that  it  is 
revealed  in  natural  indications ;  the  Christian 
thinks  that  natural  revelation  is  insufficient  to 
establish  moral  character.  Is  there  anything 
therein  relating  to  temperance,  patience,  godli- 
ness, brotherly  love,  charity,  worship,  prayer, 
forgiveness,  a  future  state,  etc..'* 

With  human  reason  unreliable,  undisciplined, 
biased,  what  could  be  the  authority  for  inter- 
preting nature  into  a  code  of  moral  laws,  even 
if  they  were  foreshadowed  there  .-*     Is  n't    it    a 


THE  rillLOSOniY  OF  BELIEF.  1 95 

well-nigh  universal  law  that,  even  with  the 
explicit  Word  of  God,  men  incline  to  establish 
rules  according  to  their  practice,  instead  of 
practising  according  to  the  rules  of  God's  word. 

From  nature  we  do  not  get  all  the  laws  we 
need,  and  no  authority  for  those  we  do  get. 
The  truths  we  find  in  nature  now,  we  should 
not  have  found  but  for  their  revelation  in  Scrip- 
ture. 

The  Scriptures  teach  all  that  man  needs  to 
know  of  God  ;  of  Divine  providence  ;  of  duty  to 
self,  to  fellow  men,  and  to  God ;  of  the  future 
state,  of  salvation,  worship,  prayer,  peace,  hope, 
and  joy. 

We  know  our  need  ;  we  know  our  inability  to 
supply  that  need  in  any  other  way;  we  know  the 
Bible  fully  meets  every  moral  need  of  man,  — 
hence  we  are  justified  in  believing  the  Scrip- 
tures to  be  the  law  of  God  concerning  man's 
duties. 

Another  line  of  facts  may  be  stated  thus  :  It 
is  clearly  demonstrable  that  most  of  the  books 
of  the  Bible  were  written  by  the  persons  who 
claim  their  authorship;  that  the  books  were 
written  when  they  claim   to   have   been ;   that 


196  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

they  are  substantially  the  same  as  when  written  ; 
that  the  writers  were  men  who  deserve  the 
confidence  of  all  ages  ;  that  all  the  doctrines  are 
beneficial ;  that  the  moral  tendency  is  higher 
than  that  found  in  any  other  philosophy;  that 
the  Scriptures  have  a  marvellous  power  of  diffus- 
ing their  truth  through  all  nationalities  —  no 
barbarous  nation  being  unsusceptible  to  their 
civilizing,  moralizing  influence;  that  they  have 
actually  made  the  civilized  nations  of  earth 
what  they  are  for  good ;  that  they  have  uniformly 
made  man  purer,  more  upright,  more  charitable, 
more  holy. 

We  know  all  this,  and  are  justified,  because 
of  this  knowledge,  in  believing  the  Scriptures  to 
be  the  Word  of  God  to  man. 

In  this  way  we  might  call  attention  to  what 
we  know  as  the  foundation  of  our  belief  in  the 
omnipotence,  omnipresence,  omniscience,  immu- 
tability, goodness,  and  holiness  of  God  ;  in  the 
divinity  of  Christ ;  in  the  humanity  of  Christ ; 
in  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  in  the  sin- 
ful state  of  man  ;  in  the  principles  of  redemption ; 
in  the  duties  of  submission,  love,  and  trust  in 
God ;  in  the  duty  to  pray  and  praise;  in  the  duty 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  BELIEF.  1 97 

to  observe  the  Sabbath ;  in  the  duties  of  charity, 
justice,  and  love  for  our  fellow  men  ;  in  the 
divine  appointment  of  the  church  and  its  sacred 
ordinances  and  sacraments. 

There  is  temptation  to  pause  on  each  of 
these  interesting  themes  and  call  attention  to 
what  we  know,  and  the  way  in  which  our  know- 
ledge culminates  in  belief.  But  our  aim  does 
not  warrant  it.  We  have  done  all  that  was 
contemplated  if  we  have  emphasized  with  suffi- 
cient clearness  the  importance  of  training  the 
youth  to  know  when  they  believe  how  and  why 
they  believe  so  that  their  belief  will  not  be 
shaken  when  they  meet  the  experiences  of  life. 
We  hope  it  may  aid  to  an  intelligent,  steadfast 
acknowledgment  of  allegiance  to  the  Divine 
Master,  and  affectionate  reliance  upon  a  personal 
Saviour, 


ART     OF    CHOOSING. 


"  Decide  not  rashly.     The  decision  made, 
Can  never  be  recalled.     The  Gods  implore  not 
Plead  not,  solicit  not :  they  only  offer 
Choice  and  occasion,  which,  once  being  passed, 
Return  no  more."  —  Longfellow. 

"  Once  to  every  man  and  nation  comes  the  moment  to  decide, 
In  the  strife  of  Truth  with  Falsehood,  for  the  good  or  evil  side." 

—  Lowell. 
"  Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve."  —  Josh.  24  :  15. 
"  The  strongest  principle  of  growth  lies  in  human  choice." 

—  George  Eliot. 

"  Choose  always  the  way  that  seems  the  best,  however  rough  it  may 
be.     Custom  will  render  it  easy  and  agreeable."  —  Pythagoras. 

'•  Men  must  be  decided  in  what  they  will   not  do,  and  then  they  are 
able  to  act  with  vigor  in  what  they  ought  to  do."  —  Menceirs. 


CHAPTER   X. 

ART    OF    CHOOSING. 

N  explicit  choice,  with  all  that  it  involves, 
is  one  of  the  highest  acts  of  the  human 
mind.  Choice  is  the  selection  of  one 
of  two  or  more  lines  of  thought  or  activity.  It 
is  not  necessarily  voluntary.  The  will  is  deliber- 
ately ignored  in  a  large  number  of  our  selections 
of  a  mode  of  activity. 

The  choice  may  be  impulsive,  unguided,  un- 
conscious, and  purposeless.  The  child's  first 
manifestations  of  activity  and  power  are  of  this 
character.  There  is  a  possibility  of  this  random 
selection's  continuing  through  life.  It  leads  to 
thriftlessness  in  business,  laxity  in  morals,  in- 
constancy in  religion. 

In  the  next  higher  phase,  choice  is  formed  by, 
or  responds  to,  external  stimulation.  It  is  the 
result  of  circumstances  and  not  of  conscious 
purpose.       Circumstances   inevitably   affect   all 


202  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

minds.  They  have  their  legitimate  place,  and 
should  be  duly  considered  in  making  choice. 
There  is  no  excuse,  however,  in  being  their 
servant,  much  less  their  slave.  Those  who  have 
not  risen  above  this  plane  are  weak  and  vacil- 
lating. There  is  nothing  reliable  in  their  antici- 
pations. They  have  neither  a  harbor  in  which 
to  anchor,  nor  a  chart  by  which  to  sail.  It  is 
an  advance  on  the  spontaneous,  random  ac- 
tivity, because  it  has  the  rudiments  of  alle- 
giance, with  more  or  less  indication  of  perma- 
nency. 

In  a  still  higher  phase,  choice  is  based  on  the 
imitative  tendency  of  the  human  mind  to  act 
without  perceptible  motive,  and  simply  because 
others  do  the  same  thing  in  the  same  way. 
Fashions  prove  its  social  tyranny.  Many  of  the 
social  vicious  habits  are  at  first  largely  a  matter 
of  imitation.  While  good  sometimes  comes 
therefrom,  it  is  a  dangerous  as  well  as  a  weak 
attitude  for  the  human  mind  to  assume  in  mak- 
ing choice. 

In  these  three  methods  of  choice,  —  at  ran- 
dom, from  circumstances,  by  imitation,  the  will 
is  neglected,  ignored.     Much  of  the  intemper- 


ART  OF  CHOOSING.  203 

ance,  licentiousness,  shiftlessness,  thriftlessness, 
poverty,  and  disease  of  the  world  comes  from 
making  no  use  of  the  will.  There  may  be  a 
species  of  goodness  without  it,  but  there  is  no 
high  type  of  manhood  or  womanhood  that  does 
not  utilize  the  will,  that  does  not  enthrone  it. 

The  mind,  from  an  early  age,  is  active,  and 
usually  acts  in  one  of  these  unreliable  ways 
through  life,  unless  trained  by  experience  or 
instruction  to  more  perfect  action  through  the 
will. 

The  will  increases  in  power  and  skill  by 
exercise,  and  it  is  to  little  purpose  that  we 
appeal  to  its  higher  possibilities,  until  it  has 
been  educated  by  discipline.  Exercise  in  these 
lower  ranges  of  activity  tends  to  develop  higher 
conditions.  There  is  a  weak  and  vicious  senti- 
mentality that  would  leave  the  child's  habit  of  reli- 
gious thought  alone  until  he  is  of  age  to  make 
the  supreme  choice  intelligently. 

It  is  philosophic  art  to  direct  the  spontaneous, 
purposeless  mental  activity  into  the  best  chan- 
nels by  every  legitimate  external  influence  and 
imitative  inclination  available.  Then,  when  he 
reaches  an   ase   or   comes   into    circumstances 


204  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

where  conscious  choice  is  probable,  he  will  have 
established  habits  of  activity  that  incline  him  to 
the  right. 

We  have  thus  far  considered  the  three 
methods  of  choice  that  are  practically  involun- 
tary. There  is  no  strength  of  mind,  no  moral 
safety,  so  long  as  there  is  lacking  voluntary 
power,  or  direct  volitional  choice.  The  will 
must  be  enthroned.  It  must  consciously  direct 
the  various  powers  of  the  mind.  Until  it  thus 
exercises  supremacy  there  is  no  balance,  no 
safety. 

The  will  is  the  servant  of  the  intellect,  in  that, 
at  its  best  estate,  it  takes  its  authority  from 
reason  and  judgment.  It  is  the  associate  of  the 
intellect,  in  that  it  consults  with  it  in  the  act 
of  deliberation  which  always  precedes  a  proper 
choice.  It  is  the  master  ruler  of  the  intellect 
in  that,  when  it  has  done  its  work  as  servant 
faithfully,  as  associate  companionably,  it  is  duly 
enthroned,  and  allowed  to  direct  and  dictate 
the  object,  method,  and  intensity  of  thought. 

Similarly  it  is  the  servant,  companion,  and 
master  of  the  emotional  nature.  The  quality 
and  quantity  of  manhood  depend  largely  upon 


ART  OF  CHOOSIXG.  205 

which  of  these  relations  the  will  sustains  to  the 
intellect  and  the  emotions. 

But  beyond  that  there  is  no  assurance  of 
permanency  so  long  as  the  will  has  to  be  always 
on  the  alert.  It  must  reach  a  condition  in 
which  it  makes  right  choice  without  conscious 
exertion. 

The  art  of  conserving  will  power  is  to  train 
the  volitional  phase  of  our  nature  to  do  its  work  to 
the  best  advantage  with  the  least  consciousness 
of  effort.  To  gain  this  end,  it  is  necessary,  when 
the  will  assumes  the  mastery  over  thought,  feel- 
ing, and  action,  that  it  do  its  work  methodically. 

It  must  acquire  the  skill  to  deliberate,  or 
weigh  motives,  arguments,  and  appeals,  to  select 
different  lines  of  activity,  only  one  of  which  can 
be  adopted.  The  art  of  deliberating  is  most 
important.  The  consideration  and  meditation 
which  it  implies  is  vital  to  reliability  in  choice. 

"  Deliberate  with  thyself: 

Pause,  ponder,  sift ;  not  eager  in  the  choice, 

Nor  jealous  of  the  chosen  :  fixing,  fix; 

Judge  before  friendship,  then  confide  till  death." 

—  Young. 

There  are  times  in  which  no  deliberation  is 


206  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

needed,  when,  in  short,  it  is  ahnost  a  crime  to 
hesitate.  There  are  occasions  when  he  who 
hesitates  is  lost.  It  is  a  safe  rule  to  follow,  that 
if  we  incline  to  do  a  thing  and  don't  know 
whether  we  ought,  then  do  it  not ;  if  we  incline 
not  to  do  a  thing,  but  think  perhaps  we  ought, 
then  do  it. 

To  decide  is  to  cut  off  deliberation.  We  gain 
much  by  having  that  decision  of  character 
which  leads  us  to  know  when  not  to  deliberate, 
when  to  cease  deliberation.  Some  principles  of 
action  are  vital  in  this  matter. 

We  must  avoid  all  rash  decisions,  all  de- 
cisions under  prejudice,  in  temper,  from  jealousy 
or  envy.  When  the  mind  is  not  in  proper 
balance  we  must  not  consent  to  make  a  de- 
cision. 

"  The  decision  made 

Can  never  be  recalled.     The  gods  implore  not, 

Plead  not,  solicit  not ;  they  only  offer 

Choice  and  occasion,  which  once  being  past 

Return  no  more." 

—  Longfellow. 

The  way  in  which  we  make  our  decisions  is 
specially  important,  indicating  the  breadth  and 
depth  of  our  mental  powers.  There  is  a  weak 
and  almost  criminal  way  of  allowing  our  decisions 


ART  OF  CHOOSING.  20/ 

to  be  formed  by  the  influence, of  signs.  Persons 
of  immature  will  power,  who  have  never  associ- 
ated as  they  should  the  intellect  with  the  will, 
frequently  acquire  a  habit  of  making  most  of 
their  choices  dependent  upon  some  relic  of  bar- 
barism that  tradition  has  handed  down  the 
generations. 

The  grandmother  telling  fortunes  with  the 
tea-grounds  did  an  injury  to  the  young  minds 
that  she  little  suspected.  The  nursery-maid 
who  is  allowed  to  discipline  the  children  by 
means  of  signs  leaves  a  permanent  impress  of 
evil  with  the  child. 

Impressions  are  frequently  allowed  to  tyran- 
nize through  the  decisions.  People  frequently 
train  themselves  to  consult  their  impressions 
before  they  decide.  Others  make  most  of  their 
decisions  from  their  prejudices.  Prejudice  is  an 
obstacle  to  all  sincerity  and  wisdom  in  the 
matter  of  choice.  In  proportion  to  the  strength 
of  our  prejudices  is  our  mental  weakness  to  be 
largely  estimated.  As  we  value  our  reputation 
for  candor  and  good  judgment  must  we  escape 
the  danger  of  deciding  from  prejudice. 

Decision,  in  its  best  estate,  is  prompt,  ener- 


208  METHODS  AND  PRIXCirLES. 

getic,  and  unbiassed.     It  is  influenced   by   the 
highest  considerations  of  duty. 

"  Once  to  every  man  and  nation  comes  the  moment  to  decide, 
In  the  strife  of  Truth  with  Falsehood,  for  the  good   or   evil 
side."  —  Lowell. 

Dctcnniuatioji,  or  absolute  direction  to  a  cer- 
tain end,  is  decision  fixed,  established  so  that  it 
will,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  adhere  to  its 
purpose.  ,  Many  who,  in  revival  excitement,  de- 
cide to  be  on  the  Lord's  side,  and  from  impulse, 
from  circumstance,  or  from  imitative  tendency, 
choose  Christ  as  their  friend,  soon  relapse  into 
an  indifferent  state,  not  because  they  were  in- 
sincere, but  because  their  decision  did  not 
eventuate  in  determination. 

Emerson  said  that  he  only  was  a  well-made 
man  who  had  a  good  determination. 

Decision  affects  us  in  one  matter,  makes  one 
choice,  while  determination  settles  causes  of  ac- 
tion, establishes,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  prin- 
ciples of  choice  that  determine  what  future 
choices  shall  be.  It  takes  our  decisions  out  of 
the  realm  of  chance  and  fickleness. 

Our  determination,  like  everything  else  in 
mental  life,  needs  its  own  principles  of  action. 


ART  OF  C//OOS/XG.  209 

The  greater  the  number  of  judicious  laws  it  can 
establish  for  its  own  guidance,  the  better.  It 
wants  to  settle  upon  as  many  classes  of  things 
that  it  will  not  do  under  any  circumstances,  as 
possible.  This  removes  the  necessity  of  any  de- 
cision in  that  class  of  cases.  There  is  no  temp- 
tation when  we  have  fixed  upon  certain  things 
that  will,  under  no  condition,  be  done.  In  the 
same  way  we  need  to  settle  upon  those  classes  of 
things  that  we  will  do  without  meditation  or 
consideration.  In  short,  the  secret  of  success  in 
this  direction  is  in  reducing  to  the  minimum 
the  number  of  cases  in  which  we  shall  delib- 
erate. 

This  latter  phase  of  determination  shades  off 
into  resolution,  which  shuts  off  the  possibility  of 
further  consideration.  It  indicates  a  settled 
purpose  to  decide  as  we  have  resolved,  regard- 
less of  consequences. 

When  Paul  started  for  Jerusalem  and  stopped 
a  few  days  with  the  disciples  at  Tyre,  and  the 
Tyrians  did  everything  in  their  power  to  dis- 
suade him  from  pursuing  his  way,  he  was  deaf  to 
all  their  entreaties,  because  of  his  high  resolve. 
Later,  he  stoped  at  Caesarea,  where  one  Agabus 


210  METHODS  AXD  PRIXCITLES. 

of  Judea,  with  dramatic  effect,  took  Paul's  girdle 
and  bound  his  own  hands  and  feet,  and  said, 
"Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost,  So  shall  the  Jews  at 
Jerusalem  bind  the  man  that  owneth  this  girdle, 
and  shall  deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  the 
Gentiles."  But  these  things  had  no  effect  in 
changing  his  purpose,  for  he  had  resolved,  after 
due  deliberation,  what  to  do,  and  nothing  there- 
after moved  him. 

Resolution  always  gives  courage.  To  know 
what  not  to  do  and  what  to  do  settles  many 
things,  the  uncertainty  of  which  makes  us  cow- 
ards. We  rarely  falter  in  any  emergency,  rarely 
fear  anything  when  we  are  sure  we  are  right 
and  are  resolved  to  conquer.  Let  two  men  face 
the  same  adventure,  the  one  knowing  in  advance 
that  he  wants  to  do  it,  and  is  resolved,  if  possi- 
ble, upon  it,  and  the  other  undecided  whether 
he  wants  to  do  it  or  not ;  and  it  does  not  take 
.long  to  know  which  will  be  successful. 

Longfellow  says,  in  the  Masqiic  of  Pandora, 
■"  Resolve,  and  thou  art  free."  This  is  true  only 
vwhen  resolve  has  its  higher,  fuller  meaning, 
.when  it  is  more  than  mere  decision. 

Goethe  says,  "  He  who  is  firm  in  will  moulds 


ART  OF  CIIOOSIXG.  211 

the  world  to  himself."  There  is  in  this  a  uni- 
versal truth.  By  will  is  here  meant  that  resolu- 
tion which  comes  from  determined,  perpetual 
decision,  resulting  from  due  deliberation  when 
the  emotional  nature  acquiesces. 

The  involuntary  choices  are  those  decisions 
that  are  spontaneous  or  random  ;  that  eventuate 
from  circumstances  or  external  influence  ;  that 
follow  the  imitative  tendency. 

The  voluntary  choices  are  those  decisions  that 
result  from  deliberation.  But  there  is  no  safety 
so  long  as  the  will  is  required  to  keep  its  grip 
on  the  choice.  The  power  of  voluntary  choice 
lies  in  that  maturity  of  the  habit  of  deciding  on 
the  lines  of  principles  that  we  have  well  estab- 
lished, which  makes  it  certain  in  advance  how 
we  shall  decide,  so  that  when  we  face  any  emer- 
gency that  special  decision  is  made  in  advance. 
Thus  our  voluntary  choices  become  involun- 
tary, not  in  the  former  sense,  but  in  the  sense 
that  no  immediate  act  of  the  will  is  required, 
but  we  take  advantage  of  previous  and  more 
deliberate  choice  of  principles  of  decision  and 
action. 

Naturalists  group  all  living  things  into  species, 


212  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

genera,  families,  orders,  classes,  kingdoms. 
Every  weed  and  insect,  every  flower  and  bird, 
everything  that  grows,  finds  its  place  in  some 
one  of  these  species,  of  which  there  is  an  endless 
number,  in  some  genus  of  which  there  are  much 
fewer,  in  some  family,  order,  or  class,  and  the 
number  in  each  ascending  scale  is  much  less. 
It  does  not  require  a  fractional  part  of  the  time  or 
thought  to  tell  in  what  class  a  thing  is,  that  it 
does  to  tell  its  species.  And  all  the  infinite  array 
of  species  are  in  one  of  the  two  kingdoms,  animal 
or  vegetable,  and  the  most  illiterate  place  objects 
in  their  proper  kingdom  without  expenditure  of 
brain  power. 

Theoretically,  we  might  expect  scientists  to 
begin  with  the  species  and  then  work  up  the 
scale  to  the  kingdom,  but  that  would  be  a 
practical  impossibility.  There  is  no  feasible,  no 
scientific  way  but  to  begin  at  the  top,  deciding 
upon  the  kingdom,  class,  order,  family,  genus, 
and  species  in  due  procession. 

There  is  no  other  scientific  way  of  making 
choices  in  the  moral,  intellectual,  or  religious 
life.  Those  moralists  who  would  have  us  make 
each   decision    b}^   itself,    placing    each    choice 


ART  OF  CHOOSING.  213 

in  some  species,  require  a  practical  impossi- 
bility. 

Our  choices  are  in  reality  grouped  like  king- 
doms into  classes,  orders,  families,  genera,  and 
species,  and,  like  the  scientist,  we  must  begin  at 
the  top  and  run  down  the  scale. 

The  primal  choice  of  every  soul  is  between 
allegiance  to  God  or  disloyalty  to  Him. 

There  are  but  two  kingdoms  in  choice,  —  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven,  or  permanent  absence  from 
it.  Every  choice  is  for  one  of  these  two  king- 
doms. 

Establish  this  resolution,  firm  and  inflexible, 
let  every  decision  be  made  without  deliberation 
or  meditation,  that  we  will  do  nothing  that  can 
by  any  possibility  lessen  our  chance  of  gaining 
the  Heavenly  kingdom,  and  that  we  will  do 
everything  that  can  by  any  possibility  improve 
our  reward  in  it,  and  then  we  have  settled  the 
vast  multitude  of  questions  that  would  else  per- 
plex us.  Every  question  that  vexes  us  grows 
out  of  a  willingness  to  do  all  the  doubtful  things 
we  can,  and  still  claim  allegiance,  and  leave 
undone  all  the  duties  we  can,  and  still  hope  for 
a  place  in  the    tieavenly   kingdom.     Whoever 


214  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

takes  the  higher  plane  of  choice  has  all  these 
problems  solved  for  him. 

Beyond  that,  however,  there  are  minor 
decisions  as  to  means  to  be  used,  methods  to  be 
adopted,  etc.,  but  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  pursue 
this  thought  further  than  to  show  that  we  want 
that  choice  of  Christ  which  shall  forever  establish 
the  resolution  through  deliberation  and  decision, 
by  which  we  shall  invariably,  without  conscious 
effort  of  the  will,  choose  only  those  courses  of 
action,  means  and  methods  of  activity,  which 
shall  in  the  highest  sense  promote  the  glory  of 
God. 

The  motives  actuating  choice  are  numerous, 
but  they  mostly  come  from  desire  in  some 
form.  While  the  character  is  the  combination 
of  all  the  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  it  may  be 
said  to  depend  largely,  if  not  entirely,  upon  the 
quality  and  strength  of  longing  for  experiences 
or  gratifications.  The  nature,  direction,  in- 
tensity, and  balance  of  these  longings  indicate 
the  motive  behind,  and  the  power  directing  our 
actions. 


"  Our  deeds  have  travelled  with  us  from  afar, 
Aud  what  we  have  been  makes  us  what  we  are." 


ART  OF  CHOOSING.  215 

Behind  every  deed  there  has  been  a  longing 
gratified,  suppressed,  or  denied. 

A  wish  is  a  strong  inclination  to  have  some- 
thing that  is  not  near  at  hand,  and  may  or  may 
not  be  accessible. 

A  desire  is  imperious,  commanding,  and  is 
centred  upon  something  attainable  at  once. 

To  covet  is  to  desire  that  which  another  has,  or 
which  we  can  only  get  through  another,  Covet- 
ousness  is  a  dangerous  motive  to  reign  over  our 
decisions,  and  yet  it  is  one  to  which  all  youth 
are  liable. 

Almost  everything  looks  better  when  another 
applies  it  than  when  viewed  in  the  abstract  ; 
as  a  garment  is  more  attractive  when  worn  by  a 
stylish,  graceful  person  than  it  is  in  the  store 
with  a  hundred  others.  Oratory  in  the  abstract 
attracts  few,  but  multitudes  covet  the  art  as 
they  listen  to  the  eloquence  of  a  living,  electri- 
fying orator.  Multitudes  of  people  have  few 
wishes  or  desires  that  are  not  born  of  what  they 
see  in  others. 

Our  choice  is  not,  cannot  be,  wise  and  best 
until  we  are  educated  above  covetousness.  We 
must   suppress  it,  or   supplant    it   with    higher 


2l6  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

wishes  and  desires.  Its  evils  are  many,  not  the 
least  of  which  is  that  we  lose  what  we  have  in 
seeking  what  others  have ;  we  fail  to  be  what  we 
might  be  by  trying  in  vain  to  be  what  another  is. 

Desires  need  to  be  moderated,  toned  down, 
put  into  the  traces,  while  our  Welshes  need  to  be 
limited,  more  defined,  more  tangible.  Our  de- 
sires contract,  our  wishes  scatter. 

We  shall  find  the  Word  of  God  the  most 
effective  instrumentality  in  all  the  range  of 
forces  with  which  to  supjDress  covetousness, 
moderate  desire,  and  limit  wishes.  No  other 
book  presents  such  motives,  or  furnishes  such 
material  from  which  to  modulate  its  various 
phases. 

We  must  educate  the  mind  to  be  influenced 
by  results  that  are  remote  in  point  of  time  and 
distance.  Neglect  of  this  leads  to  all  the  physi- 
cal, social,  financial  vices  of  the  world.  If  we 
allow  children  to  choose  those  pleasures  that 
gratify  the  surface  senses,  that  yield  the  quick- 
est emotional  delight,  that  bring  the  most  speedy 
reward,  we  may  as  well  understand  that  base 
appetites  will  be  formed  and  gratified,  social 
vices  yielded  to,  dishonesty  and  kindred  financial 


ART  OF  CHOOSIXG.  21/ 

vagaries  employed,  if  temptations  present  them- 
selves. 

There  is  no  way  possible  to  train  the  young 
to  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  value  of  more 
remote  rewards  and  dangers  except  through  the 
Bible. 

The  idea  of  God  in  his  omniscience,  of  eternity 
in  its  scope,  of  holiness  in  its  ideality,  of  Christ 
in  his  sacrifice,  all  make  the  present  seem  small 
and  unimportant  in  comparison  with  these  vast 
interests. 

The  Commandments,  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Parables,  the 
Psalms,  the  Prophecies,  Epistles,  all  prompt  man 
to  take  a  long  range  of  vision.  It  is  a  great 
benefit  to  near-sighted  people  to  live  on  a 
prairie,  where  their  view  is  always  limitless. 

The  range  of  moral  vision  is  extended  by 
much  meditation  upon  God,  and  earnest,  persis- 
tent study  of  His  works  and  Word. 

This  phase  of  desire  is  personal.  There  is  a 
higher  view  to  take  in  making  choice  of  activ- 
ity, namely,  the  need  others  have  of  our  service, 
the  good  that  will  come  to  others  from  our 
choice.     There  is  a   responsibility   involved   in 


2l8  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

our  relation  to  others  as  germinant  in  our 
choice,  that  we  cannot  afford  to  forget  or 
neglect. 

The  world  is  threatened  by  no  one  phase  of 
social  life,  more  than  by  that  which  represents 
every  man,  party,  and  interest  as  looking  after 
its  own  affairs.  Politics,  mercantile  life,  social 
life  are  all  seriously  jeopardized  by  the  too 
general  tendency  to  make  our  choice  dependent 
upon  some  good  that  will  eventually  come  to  iis. 
Scientists,  philosophers,  philanthropists  have 
nothing  to  offer  by  way  of  improving  this  state 
of  things. 

The  remedy  is  in  God's  Word.  Its  tone  from 
beginning  to  end  emphasizes  the  value  to  man 
of  making  his  choice  with  a  view  to  its  effect 
upon  others.  Our  relation  to  God,  to  Christ,  to 
each  other,  make  it  at  once  a  privilege  and  a  duty 
to  consider  others  in  estimating  the  importance 
of  each  choice.  The  idea  so  often  taught,  that 
we  are  members  one  of  another,  that  we  ought 
to  bear  one  another's  burdens  ;  the  conception  of 
Christian  brotherhood;  the  injunction  to  love 
one  another;  the  reminder  to  forgive  as  we  hope 
to  be  forgiven,  by  the  very  atmosphere  they  pro- 


AKT  OF  CIIOOShVG.  219 

duce  inspire  us  to  choose  in  every  event  in  life 
with  reference  to  the  effect  our  activity,  based 
on  that  choice,  will  have  on  others. 

There  is  a  higher  plane  than  any  of  these 
upon  which  we  may  live,  and  that  is  one  in 
which  all  our  choices  come  from  a  desire  to 
obey  and  please  a  personal  God,  whom  we  fear 
too  much  not  to  obey,  whom  we  reverence  too 
much  not  to  seek  to  please,  whom  we  appreciate 
too  keenly  to  neglect,  whom  we  love  too  ten- 
derly to  slight  in  our  estimates  of  motives.  The 
Bible,  in  its  entire  tone  and  tenor,  serves  to 
bring  us  into  this  relation  to  our  Father,  Saviour, 
and  Comforter. 

The  motive  to  choice,  must  centre  in  God,  and 
in  our  personal,  affectionate  relation  to  him. 

Another  element  of  choice  that  is  not  to  be 
overlooked,  is  the  fact  that  it  is  the  embodiment 
of  much  in  little.  It  is  the  concentration  of  all 
emotions  and  motives  of  activity,  for  a  long  time 
to  come,  in  one  effort  of  the  will.  It  repre- 
sents infinitely  more  than  it  is.  As  the  Claude 
Loraine  glass  brings  a  vast  landscape  in  perfect 
proportion  and  clear  outline  into  one  small 
frame,  so  choice  gathers  extended  consequences 


220  METHODS  AND  PRIXCIPLES. 

into  one  simple  act.  Only  as  this  is  appreciated, 
and  as  each  decision  is  made  with  reference  to 
the  chain  of  consequences  that  naturally  follow, 
is  there  wisdom  in  choice. 

Special  divine  enlightenment  may  come  to 
man,  —  in  a  mild  sense  does  frequently  come, 
—  making  his  decisions  more  significant.  The 
mind,  through  the  higher  emotional  instincts, 
may  be  brought  to  concentrate  knowledge  of 
personal  need,  eventual  reward,  responsibility  to 
man,  duty  and  affection  to  God,  with  such  clear- 
ness and  inspiration  as  to  leave  no  doubt,  no 
vein  of  hesitancy.  There  may  be  a  peculiarly 
vivid  sense  of  past  wrong-doing  and  present  sin- 
fulness. All  these  mental  attitudes  into  which 
it  is  possible  to  be  brought  by  some  special  ex- 
perience are  more  or  less  approximated  in  con- 
version. 

Perhaps  no  one  instance  has  been  more 
marked  or  more  generally  known  than  that  of 
the  conversion  of  Henry  F.  Durant,  Esq.  E.x- 
Governor  Gaston,  of  Boston,  in  what  will  prob- 
ably stand  as  the  grandest  jury  argument  of  his 
life,  made  this  most  remarkable  allusion  to  Mr. 
Durant's    conversion.     After    referring    to    his 


ART  OF  CHOOSING.  221 

almost  matchless  legal  ability,  he  said,  in  sub- 
stance :  "  I  have  not  the  ability  to  appreciate 
the  experience  of  Henry  F.  Durant,  but  this  we 
all  know,  that  about  the  time  his  only  child  died, 
he  had  a  religious  experience,  so  deep,  so  pro- 
found, so  impressive,  that  he  never  after  prac- 
tised the  profession  to  which  he  had  hitherto 
given  his  life,  in  which  he  had  taken  unbounded 
pleasure,  and  won  high  fame.  From  the  day  of 
that  experience,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Durant  devoted 
their  time,  their  thought,  their  energy,  their 
wealth,  to  religious,  charitable,  and  educational 
advancement." 

This  illustrates  the  possibilities  there  are  of 
swaying  the  entire  life  out  of  long-established 
intellectual,  emotional,  and  deliberately  selected 
ways  into  entirely  distinct  and  different  chan- 
nels, under  special  divine  guidance,  through 
the  conscience  and  the  emotions. 

Choice  at  such  a  moment,  under  such  inspi- 
rations, is  not  unnatural,  is  not  supernatural, 
but  is  the  embodiment  of  all  the  highest  human 
possibilities  of  thought,  emotion,  and  will,  stim- 
ulated, enlightened,  and  empowered  by  a  per- 
sonal God,  who  seems  to  touch  the  human  soul 


222  METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 

through  direct  affihation.  This  it  is  that  man 
may  experience  —  that  multitudes  have  expe- 
rienced —  in  conversion.  This  choice,  supreme, 
permanent,  intense,  exalts  every  human  attribute, 
and  through  the  Holy  Spirit  clothes  it  with  a 
power  and  eternity  of  purpose  never  known 
before. 

The  soul  that  has  not  made  such  choice  has 
missed  the  grandest  experience  of  life. 


INDEX. 


Abraham,  33. 

Adaptation  of  life  to  truth,  27. 

of  text  to  age,  23. 
Addison,  quotation,  18. 
Age,  analytical,  22,  30. 

inquisitive,  29. 

memory,  23. 

under  seven  or  eight,  29. 

between  seven  and  fifteen,  29. 

above  fifteen,  29,  30. 
Aim  of  Sunday-school,  21. 
Amusements,  148,  150. 
Application  of  truth,  26. 

falsely  made,  60. 
Appreciation  of  single  truths,  48. 

of  steps  in  process,  50. 
Art  of  Choosing,  201. 

of  Remembering,  91. 

of  Thinking,  45. 
Art  Club  of  Boston,  52. 
Associative  aids,  28. 
Attention,  75. 

abstract,  78. 

adaptation  to  age,  84. 

application  to  Bible  study,  79. 

automatic,  85. 

change  of,  iii. 

difficulty  of,  75. 

expectant,  177. 

external,  "]"]. 

internal,  77. 

involuntary,  75,  85. 

voluntary,  85, 
Authority,  parental,  32. 
Awakening  interest,  102. 

Bad  habits,  no. 
Bailey,  quotation,  162. 


Bain,  quotation,  130. 
Ball-room,  sympatiiy.  149. 
Beaver,  an  illustration,  78. 
Bee,  an  illustration,  21. 
Belief,  167,  iSi. 

adaptation  of,  186. 

certainty  of,  164. 

commercial,  i')6. 

credulity  in,  175. 

fanaticism  in,  176. 

foundation  facts  of,  166. 

motives,  190. 

scientific,  166. 

social,  166. 

responsibilities  of,  191. 
Benefit  of  sympathy,  145. 
Bible,  how  taught,  14, 

in  olden  days,  15, 

text-book,  13. 

underlying  principles,  14. 

what  it  does  for  mankind,  1 3. 
Biography,  29. 
Broken-hearted  parents,  121. 
Byron,  a  quotation.  44. 
Business  men  as  thinkers,  45. 

Carlyle,  a  quotation.  144, 
Carpenter,  Dr.  W.  B.,  authority, 

I -8. 
Certainty  in  belief.  169. 
Change  of  attention,  lit. 
Character  development,  22. 
Chemists'  art.  56. 
Child  and  mother,  112. 
Children,  relation  of  parents,  37. 

relation  to  parents,  36. 
Choice,  circumstantial,  201. 

deliberative,  205. 

223 


224 


METHODS  AA'D  PRINCirLES. 


Choice,  decisive,  206. 

generous,  21S. 

imitative,  202. 

impulsive,  201. 

involuntary,  201. 

saltish,  218. 

voluntary,  204. 
Choosing,  Art  of,  201. 
Christian  living,  requirements,  21. 

science,  132. 
Churchill,  a  quotation,  144. 
Church  service,  151. 
Circumstances   and   associations, 

28. 
Classification  of  age,  31. 
Claude  Loraine  glass,  219. 
Cobbe,  Frances  Power,  ciuotation, 

173- 

Coleridge,  S.  T.,  illustration,  80. 

Comparison  of  truth,  55. 

Comprehension    of    responsibili- 
ties, 20. 

Conditions  of  success,  123. 

Confession,  1S8. 

Contemporary  review,  quotation, 

173- 
Covetousness,  215. 
Cranch,  quotation,  44. 
Credulity,  175. 
Criticism,  effects  of,  14. 

not  intended,  16. 
Critics,  55. 
Currie,  quotation,  74. 
Cyclamen,  illustration,  30. 

Decision,  ?o6. 

Deductive  reasoning,  63. 

Definition,  51. 

Deformities,  righting  physical,  107 

Deliberation.  205. 

Denham,  quotation,  162. 

Desire,  215. 

Despair.  171. 

Desperation,  172. 

Despondency,  171. 

Determination,  208. 

Development  of  mind,  20 

Disbelief,  170. 

Discriminate  to  note  differences, 5 1 

what  is  to  be  remembered,  102 
Divine  guidance,  219. 

will,  21. 


Dorr,  Julia  C.  R.,  quotation,  tS. 
Doubt,  168. 

Drunkards,  reformed,  iii. 
Durant,  H.  F.,  220. 

Eagle,  an  illustration,  78. 
Effect  of  imagination,  122. 
Eliot,  George,  quotation,  144. 
Elocution    teacher,    an    illustra- 
tion, 131. 
Emerson,  quotations,  iS,  162. 
Emotions,  defined,  131. 

developed,  137. 

excessive,  135. 

influence  of,  132. 

influence  of    word    of    God 
upon,  140. 

lack  of  self-control,  133. 

painful,  134. 

pleasurable,  134. 
Emotional  sympatliy,  147. 
Emphasis  in  Bible  reading,  54. 
Enemies,  relation  to,  39. 
Erratic  Christians,  127. 

emotional  natures,  1^5. 
Estimating  consequences,  57. 
E.xamples  of  deductive  reasoning, 

70. 
Excessive  emotional  natures,  135. 
Expectancy.  181. 
Expectant  attention,  177. 
E.xternal  attention,  77. 

Faculty  born  with  us,  18. 
Faith,  1S2. 

Faith  and  works,  1S9. 
Fanaticism,  176. 
Feelings,  muscular,  131. 

sensations,  131. 
Fish,  an  illustration,  100. 
Forgetfulness,  93. 
Fortunes  without  paying  debts, 

57- 
Foundation  of  good  thinking,  49. 
Fragrant  flowers  an  illustration,  35 
Friends,  38. 
Froude,  quotation,  162. 
Fuller,  quotation,  90. 

Gaston,  ex-Governor,  220. 
Geography,  28. 
Glorious  old  days,  15. 


INDEX. 


22$ 


Goethe,  quotation,  2U. 
Grouping  texts,  30. 

Habits,  bad,  107. 

conditions  of,  108. 

creates  brain  power,  100. 

good,  107. 

in  early  rising,  109. 

in  morality,  114. 

in  religion,  115. 

Philosopliy  of,  107. 

relieves  the  will,  108. 

use  of,  loS. 
Habitual  indifference,  113. 
Hamilton,  Sir  William,  79. 
Hare,  quotation,  144. 
Harmony  is  power,  T46. 
Havergal,  quotation,  162. 
Hazel  fork,  179. 
Hemans,  Mrs.,  quotation,  144. 
History  of  Bible,  how  taught,  28. 
Hope,  182. 
Humming-bird,  an  illustration,  80. 

Ice-cutting,  an  illustration,  109. 
Illustrations  : 

Beaver,  78. 

Bee,  21. 

Coleridge,  S.  T.,  So. 

Cyclamen,  30. 

Drawing  line,  19. 

Eagle,  78. 

Elocution  teacher,  131. 

Fish,  35. 

Fragrant  flowers,  35. 

Humming-bird,  80. 

Ice-cutting,  109. 

Jasper,  Rev.  John,  46. 

Leafing  of  tree,  137. 

Mozart,  147. 

Musical  development,  41. 

Musicians,  trained,  134. 

Oats  on  cotton,  59. 

Satchel,  95. 

Silkworm,  27. 

Spider  eats  double,  58. 

Spider's  web,  97. 

Soldiers  in  step,  145. 

Starting  tuns,  19. 

Strawberry,  25. 

Telescope,  84. 

Tempering  steel,  169. 


Illustra'  ions  (continiccd). 

Weeds,  35. 
Imagination,  develops  virtue,  121. 

development  ot,  124. 

influence  of,  121. 

neglect  of,  123. 

Use  of,  121. 

well  trained,  128. 
Immature  state  of  mind,  24. 
Imitative  choice,  20. 
Importance  of  S.S.  work,  13. 
Impressions,  207. 
Impulsive-  choice,  201. 
Individual  texts,  23. 
Inductive  reasoning,  61. 
Influence  of  emotions,  132. 

of  imagination,  121. 
Ingersoll,  22. 
Internal  attention,  77. 
Interesting  Bible  study,  102. 
Inquisitive  age,  29. 
Intellectual  sympathy,  146. 
Inteni|)eiates  reformed,  112. 
International  lessons,  14,  15. 
Introduction,  13. 
Involuntary  attention,  75. 

choice,  201. 

recollection,  94. 

Jasper,  Rev.  John,  46. 
Joy,  183. 
Juries,  149. 

Landor,  quotations,  44,  74,  90. 
Laws  of  logic,  65. 
Lawyers'  power,  53. 
Leafing  of  tree  an  illustration,  137 
Leland,  quotation,  i(')2. 
Life  fashioned  by  truth,  27. 
Lived  religion  away  from  home,  60 
Longfellow,  quotations,  iS,  206, 

210. 
Lowell,  quotation,  208. 

Memory  age,  23. 

a  panorama.  90. 
Memorizing  a  drudgery,  26. 
Meredith,  Owen,  quotation,  44. 
Mental  develoiimcnt,  defined,  20. 

principles  of,  20. 

too  early,  25. 
Methods  and  principles,  17. 


226 


METHODS  AND  PRINCIPLES. 


Moody,  22. 
Morality,  114. 
Mother's  tact,  122. 
Motives  of  choice,  214. 
Mozart,  an  illustration,  147. 
Musical  development,  an  illustra- 
tion, 41. 
Music  teaching,  an  illustration,  49. 
Muscular  feeling,  131. 

Napoleon,  quotation,  120. 
Naturalists,  212. . 
Novalis,  quotation,  130. 

Oats  on  cotton,  59. 
Outline  for  grouping,  34. 

Painful  emotions,  134. 

Parents,  relation  to  children,  36. 

Parental  authority,  32. 

Patent  Office,  57. 

Paul  and  the  T yrians,  209. 

Peace,  1S3. 

Penmanship,  teaching,  49. 

Philosophy  of  Belief,  163. 

of  Habit,  107, 

of  Sympatliy,  145. 
Physical  sympathy,  145. 
Physician's  success,  53. 
Physicians,  untrained,  57. 
Planchette,  180. 
Pleasant  emotions,  133. 
Psychology  to  be  popularized,  14. 
Principles  of  logic,  64. 

Quotations  : 

Addison,  18. 

Bailey,  162. 

Bain,  130. 

Byron,  44. 

Carlylc,  144. 

Churchill,  144. 

Cobbc,  F'"ranccs  Power,  173. 

Contemporary  Review,  173. 

Cranch,  44. 

Currie,  74. 

Dcnluun,  162. 

Dorr,  Julia  C.  R.,  18. 

Eliot,  (Jeo.,  144. 

P^merson,  18,  162. 

Froude,  162. 

Fuller,  go. 


Quotations  {continued). 
Gaston,  Ex-Gov.,  220. 
Goethe,  211. 

Hamilton,  .Sir  William,  79. 
Hare,  144. 
Havergal,  162. 
Hemans,  Mrs.,  144. 
Landon,  44,  74,  go. 
Leland,  162. 

Longfellow,  18,  206,  210. 
Lowell,  20S. 
Mereditli,  Owen,  44. 
Napoleon,  120. 
Novalis,  130. 
Rogers,  90. 
Scott,  130. 

Shakespeare,  90,  ic6. 
Shelley,  44. 
Sidney,  44. 
Spurgeon,  144. 
VVebster,  106,  120. 
Young,  162,  182,  205. 

Recreation,  151. 
Relation  to  enemies,  39. 

to  friends,  38. 

of  parents  to  children,  37. 

to  parents,  36. 
Reliance,  181. 
Religion,  definition,  115. 
Remembering,  .Vrt  of,  91. 
Resolution,  209. 
!    Revision  Committee,  25. 
Rhythmical  verses,  27. 
Rogers,  quotation,  90.  . 
Ruskin's  te.xts,  27. 

Satchel,  an  illustration,  95. 
Scholarly  men  recreant,  123. 
Scott,  quotation,  130. 
Scripture  References : 

Exodus,  XV.,  XX., —  28. 
Leviticus,  xix.  3,  —  36. 
Deuteronomy,  v.    16;   xxvii. 
16,-36. 
vi.  7,  8,  —  37. 
2  .Samuel,  i.  7,  27,  —  28. 
1  Kings,  viii., —  28. 
I  Chronicles,  xxix.  18, —  120. 
Psalms, xxiii.,xxxii.,  xc.xci., 
ciii.,  cxii.,  cxix.,  c.xx.xix., 
—  28. 


INDEX. 


227 


Scripture  References  {continued). 
Psalms,  cxxxvii.  6,  —  90. 
Proverbs,  ii.,  iii.,  viii.,  xii.,  — 

28. 

xxiii.  22, —  36. 

vi.  20,  21  ;  xxii.  6, —  37. 

xiii.  1 8, 24  ;  xvii.  1 7  ;  xviii. 
24  ;  xxii.  24  ;  xxvii.  6, 
19;  xxix.  15, 17, —  38. 

xxi.  10,  —  39. 

iv.  I,  20 ;  vii.  24, —  74. 
Ecclesiastes,  iv.  9,  10,  —  t^Z. 

xii.  I,  —  90. 
Isaiah,  Iviii., —  28. 
Amos,  iii.  3,  — 38. 
Zacliariali,  vii.  10, —  120. 
Mattliexv,  v.,  vi.,  vii.,  —  28. 

V.  23,25,44,-39. 

vi.  12,  —  39. 

xviii. '23-35,— 39. 

x.xii.  42,  —  44. 
Mark,  xi.  25,  26,  —  39. 
Luke,  .xviii.  18,  19,  —  37. 
John,  iv.  9-26;  xxi., —  54. 
Acts,  xvi.  31, —  162. 

xxvi.,  —  28. 
Romans,  ii.  7,  —  106. 

1  Corinthians,  xiii.,  XV.,  —  28. 

xiii.  IT,  —  44. 

2  Corinthians,  iii.  5,  —  44. 
Ephesians,  vi.  i,  4,  23, —  37. 
Colossians,  iii.  20,  21, —  ■},■]. 

iv.  2,  —  106. 

Hebrews,  vi.  19,  —  183. 

James,  iv.  —  28. 

2  Peter,  iii.  18, —  18. 

Revelation,  v.  6, —  28. 
Shakespeare,  quotations,  90,  106. 
Shelley,  quotation,  44. 
Sidney,  quotation,  44. 


.^igns,  207. 

Silk-woini,  an  illustration,  27. 
Soldiers  in  drill  and  battle,  47. 
Spider  eats  double,  an  illustration, 

58. 
Spider's  web,  an  illustration,  97. 
Spurgeon,  quotation,  144. 
Supernatural  influence,  178. 
Superstition,  175. 
Strawberry,  an  illustration,  25. 
.Sympathy,  Philosophy  of,  145. 
Sympathetic  teachers,  138. 

Table-tipping,  179. 
Telescope,  an  illustration,  84. 
Temperance  texts,  2,'^. 
Tempering   steel,  an  illustration, 

169. 
Texts  germinate  thought,  26. 
Tendency  ot   pleasant  emotions, 

Ij3- 
I  heatres,  140. 
Thinking,  .Art  of,  45. 
Truth,  application  of,  26. 

harnessed  to  real  life,  27. 

Unbelief,  170. 

Use  of  the  Imagination,  121. 

Verbal  memory,  24. 
V'irtues  not  meritless,  114. 

Webster,  quotations,  106,  120. 
Weeds,  an  illustration,  35. 
Will,  205. 

Will-sympathy,  148. 
Wish,  215. 

Young,  quotations,  162,  2S2,  205. 
Young  people,  tendency  of,  31. 


vm^ 


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